


Wonder

by PhoenixxFyre



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 18:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19836259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixxFyre/pseuds/PhoenixxFyre
Summary: When Lucy Heartfilia is forced to marry, she leaves her home and escapes to her garden, where she falls down a hole and winds up in another world altogether! She soon finds herself in the middle of a conflict, where she will be one of the key players in deciding who wins the battle, and possibly the fate of Magnolia...





	1. Tumble Into Another World

_He slowly walked towards her. She could not see his face, for it was shrouded in shadow, but she knew by his body and rose colored hair that it was the same man who visited her in her dreams. She watched him come closer to where she stood, and her heart pounded when he held out his hand and said, 'Come with me, and we can be together.'_

And like every other dream before this, she woke up just as she took his hand.

"Miss Lucy? Miss Lucy, please wake up. Your father has summoned you to his study."

Lucy Heartfilia groaned. She hated when her father did this. Usually, it had something to do with money, so she could only imagine what her father would ask of her this time. She thanked the maid, picked up her book-which she started reading before she fell asleep-from the ground, and headed towards the manor. She trudged up the long flight of stairs and knocked on her father's study door.

"Come in," her father said from behind the door, and she entered.

"Lucy, I have great news!" her father said enthusiastically. Her eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that.

"What is it?" she asked him, still nervous.

"The lord wishes to marry you! Two months from now, you will become his bride!"

Lucy felt her stomach clench. Marriage? She wasn't anywhere near ready for that. And to the _lord_ of all people? Lord Ichiya didn't care for her to be around him, much less love her enough to marry. Which means...

"Why does the lord wish to marry me, father?"

"Their fortune is quickly dwindling, and since the lord's sister died several years ago, he needs to produce an heir. Lucy, my dear, this is marvelous! We will-"

"I will not marry him."

Her father gave her a long, irritated stare before answering.

"Lucy, you will be rich! You will become a lady and live in grand wealth for the rest of your life! What more could you possibly ask for?"

"I wish to marry for love. I have no desire to marry for money or status. So no father! I refuse to marry lord Ichiya!"

"It's too late, Lucy. The marriage has already been arranged. You will be wed two months from now."

Lucy suppressed a shriek of rage and stomped out of the room, ignoring her father's calls behind her back.

She opened her bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her. Then she changed into a simple lacy white dress and headed for the garden.

The garden was by far her favorite place in the whole manor. Her mother would bring her here when she was little and she always had fond memories of playing or listening to her mother tell stories of strange lands, magical creatures, and royalty. She still remembered many of those stories. Her mother swore they were true and you could find those lands... _If you knew where to look,_ she would say with a smile.

Lucy really wished she could find those lands now. Or at least have her mother by her side again. She missed her. She closed her eyes and thought of happy times when she was a little girl and her mother was still alive.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound coming from one of the tall bushes. She opened her eyes, expecting to see a rabbit or bird, but what she saw instead surprised her. A little girl, around the age of twelve, she guessed, was running through the garden.

Lucy stood up and followed her. She never saw the young girl before, but maybe she was lost. The gardens were rather large and took her several years to find her way around them with ease. She finally caught up to the girl when she heard her mutter, "I'm so late. I'm gonna be in sooo much trouble with the queen. Eek!" She ran towards the giant oak tree in the middle of the garden and...disappeared.

Lucy blinked. Surely she was just seeing things. No way could the little girl just disappear out of thin air. She ran up to the tree and understood why the girl had disappeared.

A huge hole opened up at the base of the tree, and by the looks of it, the hole was pretty deep.

"Hello?" Lucy called, but she heard no response. She tried again. Silence answered her. She leaned forward, hoping that maybe she could see the girl down the hole, but she lost her balance and tumbled forward down the hole.

Lucy screamed. She was falling too fast and the hole seemed to go down a lot longer than she had originally thought. She knew that if she hit the ground, she would most likely die. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the impact, hoping that her death would be painless and not agonizing.

But the impact never came. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself floating.

_I must be dead,_ she thought to herself, just as the floating stopped and she hit the ground butt first.

"Ow!" she cried out. _Okay, definitely not dead!_ She looked around. A door was carved into the wall in front of her, and besides the lanterns dimly lighting the small room, the only other object in the room was a small table in the center. She briefly wondered what this place was when she remembered a memory from her childhood.

Her mother used to say the giant oak tree was magical. Lucy would smack her hand against the tree and ask her mother what made it magical. Her mother would smile and tell her that it was a secret, but maybe one day she would tell her. She never got the chance to, since she died a month later.

But now Lucy understood. Her mother didn't tell her, but she hinted at it. _If you knew where to look..._

_This couldn't be the magical land mother told me about, could it?,_ she wondered. Only one way to find out. She walked up to the door and opened it gently.

It wasn't what she expected. The trees were gnarled, twisted and bare, the grass was brown with decay, wilted flowers lay limp in the dead grass, the sky was an angry gray with mountainous thunderclouds looming overhead, but was most odd was the sound. Or rather, the lack of it. There was no wind, water, animals, or any sign of life whatsoever. She closed the door behind her and began to explore the desolate forest.

She didn't get very far. Lightning crackled in the sky and thunder rumbled shortly after. Lucy ran for cover from the deluge that quickly followed. She eventually found a small cave built inside a hill and she squeezed herself inside. She was watching the rain fall when she noticed movement from a dead shrub across from her. She watched as a cat, a weird blue one at that, ran out of the shrub and looked around fearfully. Then it sprouted wings, to Lucy's amazement, and quickly flew off in her direction and passed over her.

Lucy climbed out of the cave, no longer worried about getting wet. Cats could fly here? She wanted to see where it was going and if it was headed towards civilization, so she followed it.

She trudged through murky puddles and lost a shoe in the process, was scratched by thorns, and felt chilled to the bone from the rain, but she still followed the flying cat. It stopped at a small house and went inside. _Yes!,_ Lucy thought and knocked on the door, rubbing her hands over her arms in a futile attempt to warm herself. The same cat answered and Lucy stared at it. "Um..." was all she could think to say. What exactly do you say to a flying cat, after all?

"Natsu!" the cat yelled. Lucy's mouth fell open in shock. It could talk too?!

"Yeah?" a young man's voice answered. He appeared next to the cat and looked at Lucy. "Who're you?" he asked her.

She couldn't answer right away, as she was too busy staring at him to say anything. He was tall, but not too tall, and had short, spiky, pink hair. He wore a shirt with one long sleeve, the other sleeve seemingly missing, showing off a muscular arm, and had a white scarf wrapped around his neck. But what bothered Lucy was that he looked so familiar, even though she knew she had never met this man before.

"I'm Lucy," she replied quietly.

"Come in," the man, apparently named Natsu, said. She entered the warm house and shivered, moaning at the sudden change in temperature and sat next to the fireplace.

"I'm Natsu, and this is my friend Happy," the man said and pointed to the cat. The cat waved at her and said, "Aye!"

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Natsu asked her. She thought about it and realized just how thirsty she really was.

"What's here to drink?" she asked him.

"Tea!" he and Happy answered in unison.

"Okay. I'll have some tea."

Natsu nodded and headed into the kitchen, where he began to prepare the tea.

"You're soaking wet!" a feminine voice exclaimed. Lucy spun around. Another cat stood behind her, only this one was white and wore a dress. "We must get you out of those clothes or else you'll get sick!" She motioned for Lucy to follow her and she did.

"My name is Carla," the cat said. "And your name is?"

"Lucy," she answered. Carla nodded and opened a door to what appeared to be a girl's bedroom. She opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a dress. It was simple-lavender with a pink sash around the waist-and Carla held it out to her along with undergarments, socks, and black buckle-up shoes. "Try this on and give me your wet clothes so I may dry them," she told her and left the room so Lucy could change. Lucy changed quickly and looked at her reflection in the mirror, fluffing her hair as she did so. The clothes fit well and looked good on her. She picked her wet clothes off the floor and opened the door.

"Carla, I'm done," Lucy said to the cat when she spotted her and handed Carla the damp clothes. She flew to the fireplace and hung them in front of it.

"Tea's done!" shouted Natsu. He exited the kitchen and froze when he saw Lucy.

"Carla," he said, not taking his eyes off Lucy. "What is she wearing?"

"I had no choice, Natsu. The poor girl's clothes were soaking wet and she needed dry clothes."

Lucy wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she knew something was wrong by the look on Natsu's face.

"Here's your tea," he said to her, handing her the teacup and saucer, but he did not meet her eyes. He left the room and Lucy looked at Carla.

"What's wrong with him all of a sudden? He seemed so happy earlier. Did I do something to upset him?"

Carla sighed. "No, it wasn't you. It's the dress you're wearing. It's not my place to tell you the story, but I will say there are bad memories that linger in Natsu's mind, and that dress might have brought one back."

Lucy felt bad. She wished she could apologize to Natsu, even though she couldn't help what happened, but when he came back into the room, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

"So? What brings you here?" he said cheerfully.

"I fell down a hole and it brought me here to...wherever here is," she said to him. He stared at her intensely and Carla looked at her curiously.

"You mean...you're not from Magnolia?" she asked her.

"That's what this place is called?"

"Yes. So that must mean you're from Earthland."

"I'm so confused," Lucy said, setting down the now empty cup of tea and resting her head in her hand.

"They say there are two worlds parallel to each other," Carla began. "There are ways to travel in between the two worlds, but it's difficult and very few people can do it. You're from Earthland. You somehow were able to travel here to Magnolia, our world." Carla paused, lost in thought. "You said you fell down a hole. Do you mean the hole at the base of the ancient oak?"

Lucy nodded and Carla looked at her thoughtfully. "Interesting. There was another girl who fell down the same hole around 20 years ago now. I wasn't alive then, but I've heard stories. If you would like, I could take you to someone who talked to the girl when she was here, if you're curious."

Lucy grinned at the cat. "Yeah," she said. "I'd like that."

"Alright then," said Carla. "As soon as the rain stops, we'll take you."

* * *

The rain continued long into the night, the pang of raindrops hitting the roof making a melody of sorts throughout the house. Despite that, Lucy couldn't sleep. Maybe it was because the place was unfamiliar, or it could have been the shock of finding herself in another world. Whatever the reason, Lucy remained wide awake. She stared out the window, watching the rain fall heavily from the sky.

She remembered when her mother was still alive, and they would both stare out the window and watch the rain.

"What are you still doing up?" Natsu asked her. She forced her gaze from the window and looked over at him. He stood behind the couch, looking at her oddly. She smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry," she said. "I couldn't sleep. I'm just sitting here watching the rain until I fall asleep. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind. I have just the thing for sleeping. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Natsu returned holding a cup of tea. He handed it to her and she gratefully accepted it, taking a sip and savoring the taste.

"Why are you watching the rain?" he asked her a moment later.

"It soothes me," she replied.

"I've been told that the rain's actually the tears of a goddess," Natsu said to her. "She loved this world, and so she weeps for it as a sign she still cares."

Lucy smiled softly. "That reminds me of a story my mother used to tell me. We would watch the rain together, and whenever it was time for me to go to bed, she would tell me all sorts of stories. One was about the rain. She said that the rain was caused by the souls of the dead, who loved their lives on Earth, and wished to return. Because they couldn't, they would cry about their past lives, and their tears fell down to Earth."

"That's sad," Natsu said when she finished. "But it's beautiful at the same time."

"Yeah," Lucy said wistfully. "Sometimes I wonder if my mother is up there, crying for her old life. I hope not. I hope she's happy, wherever she is."

Natsu said nothing, but sat beside her and smiled sadly. She could see in his eyes that he understood how she felt. _He must have lost someone too,_ she thought sadly. She was oddly grateful for his company, even though she didn't know him all that well.

They watched the rain fall together, occasionally talking about their lives, getting to know each other. Lucy enjoyed every minute of it. She didn't understand it, but she felt...close to him. As if they were friends many, many years ago.

She fell asleep with her cheek pressed against the cool glass of the window with a blanket covering her body. Natsu had left long before, yet his presence still lingered in her dreams.

* * *

It seemed to Lucy like they had been walking through the dead forest for hours, when in reality, they had only been walking for 20 minutes at the most.

"We're almost there," Happy called out to her. The blue cat flew beside Carla and kept glancing at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Where are we going exactly?" asked Lucy. It was Natsu who spoke up this time.

"We're going to see Makarov. He's an old man who lives in this forest. " Natsu grinned at her. "He's pretty cool. You'll like him."

"We're here," said Carla. Lucy looked away from Natsu and out in front of her. A huge archway made of intricately woven vines and flowers towered in front of her, and beyond that lay what seemed to be a garden, the first sign of plant life since she came to this world.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. It really was. Its beauty rivaled her own garden back home.

"Come along," Carla said, and the group followed her into the gorgeous garden. They passed exotic plants the likes of which Lucy had never seen before. Odd insects flew around her head, coming within inches of her face. They were all curious creatures indeed. Lucy's eyes traveled around the garden in awe. She'll never forget something like this. It was simply too beautiful to forget.

"Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed. Lucy snapped out of her stupor at the sound of his voice and followed his gaze to an old man sitting on a chair made of interwoven vines.

"Hello, Natsu. How have you been? It's been a while since you last visited. Oh? And who is this young lady?" The old man stared curiously at her.

"I'm good! This is Lucy. She came here from Earthland."

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir," Lucy said politely. "Carla told me you spoke with another girl who came here years ago. What can you tell me about her?"

Makarov pulled out a pipe and smoked from it. "It around 20 years ago. A young girl, around your age, fell down a hole and found herself in our world. She had no idea how to get back to her own world and wandered around this forest for days before she found me. She told me her name was Layla and she wanted to find her way back home. I didn't have any means of getting her back to Earthland, so I sent her to the Red Kingdom to obtain a vial of potion that would open a Gate and bring her back to her world."

"Okay, so to get home, then all I have to do is go to this kingdom to get a vial of potion? That sounds easy enough."

Makarov, along with the rest of her traveling companions, stared at her sadly.

"What?"

"Traveling to the Red Kingdom is dangerous nowadays," Makarov said, taking another drag from his pipe. "The Red Kingdom is at war with other Kingdoms right now, and the queen won't hesitate to lock you up and execute you if she finds you."

Lucy swallowed hard. "Okay, no traveling to the Red Kingdom. Got it. So what other way is there to get home?"

"That, my dear, I don't know. Those vials were the only known way to travel back to your world. You could go to another Kingdom to find one, but I don't know if those Kingdoms have them or not."

Lucy nodded, understanding but slightly disappointed. Then she thought of something that had been bothering her since she heard Makarov mention it in his story.

"Sir? You told me the girl's name was Layla. Can you tell me what she looked like?"

Makarov squinted at her. "Well, she looked a lot like you, I guess. Same eyes, hair, features. Why do you ask?"

"Um...never mind. It's not important."

It was her mother. It had to have been. All the stories she heard when she was a little girl made sense now. Except for one thing.

"What happened to this world? I thought it was supposed to be beautiful. But the only sign of beauty I've seen so far is your garden. What happened?"

Natsu answered her this time. "The Red queen. She was once a kind and benevolent ruler, but one day, her husband, the king, was murdered and she was driven mad by her grief. She became a tyrant and she killed, still kills, all who oppose her, and she forbids love between anyone in her kingdom. This land has become a wasteland since then. That's what happened."

Lucy looked at him. She could have sworn she saw deep pain in his eyes, just like the look he had before, when he saw the dress, but then the look was gone and was replaced with his usual cheerful demeanor. "But I guess it could be worse, right?"

The others were looking at him with sadness. Natsu was obviously hiding something from her. "I guess we should be going now. See ya, gramps!"

"Wait. May I please speak to Lucy alone?" The others nodded and left the garden.

"What is it?" Lucy asked Makarov.

"There is a prophecy that talks about a young girl who restores the land and makes kingdoms thrive. It says that the girl is the daughter of an Earthland woman of Magnolian descent. You see, years ago, even before I was alive, a member of one of the royal families fled this world and stayed in Earthland. The prophecy says that a girl of that bloodline will come to this land and save it. You asked about the girl who came here last. You asked what she looked like. She was your mother, wasn't she?"

Lucy nodded, unable to speak for some reason.

"I see. You must be very careful, Lucy. The Red queen knows all about the prophecy, and if you are indeed the child of prophecy, which I pray that you are not, then the Red queen will hunt you down, either to make you an ally of the Red Kingdom, or to execute you if you are not compliant. Either way, lay low and be careful."

"I will. Thank you, sir." she left the garden, the new knowledge spinning in her brain and she hoped that she was not the girl in the prophecy.

* * *

The doors burst open and a dark haired man waltzed in, bowing deeply before getting on his knees.

"Your Majesty. One of our spies has brought news from the Worthsea forest. It seems as though an Earthland girl has arrived in this world. What will you have us do?"

The Red queen smiled, though there was no warmth behind it. "Capture her and bring her to me. If she will not bow to me, then she will be executed."


	2. The Game of Kingdoms and Destiny

The group trudged back to the house in silence, so Lucy pondered the old man's words and their meaning. _An old prophecy, huh? Me and my mother both came to this world. But that doesn't make sense. I'm not royal. Not yet anyway. Wouldn't my mother have told me if we were of royal descent?_

"Stop," Natsu warned. They all stopped and he inclined his head, focusing on the sounds of the barren wasteland around them.

"Run. They're here." Everyone but Lucy panicked.

"Who's they?" she asked Happy.

"The Red kingdom's Royal guard! They must know you're here! Why else would they be out here?"

Lucy felt dread settle into her stomach. The royal guard knew she was here? She had to run. To escape them, so she wouldn't put her new friends in danger.

"Follow me!" Natsu yelled to her before sprinting away into a dense mass of lifeless trees. She chased after him, the cats trailing behind. They ran quickly, but after a few minutes, she heard the faint sound of horses' hooves trampling the ground.

"We're almost there!" Soon, they reached a wrought iron gate, which was thankfully unlocked, and they darted inside, closing it rapidly behind them.

"Wait, wouldn't they see us or know we're here?" Lucy asked Natsu dubiously.

"The cemetery is warded and hidden against those who are unwelcome. Like the Royal guard, for example." Natsu grinned reassuringly at her. "We're safe now."

Lucy looked around. The graveyard, like the rest of the forest outside, seemed to be dead, but she could tell it was once quite beautiful. Dead vines clung to headstones whose faces were scratched bare from weather and age while stone knights clad in armor looked valiantly to the steely sky above, their features rugged and worn from years of harsh elements.

It was a shame this world was in such chaos. She would have loved to see this place when it was blooming with life.

Lucy saw movement to her left and spun around. A man disappeared out of sight behind a mausoleum. If this place was warded against those who were unwelcome, then he couldn't be part of the Royal guard, could he? She walked over to the stone vault. She should check it out just in case. After all, Natsu and the cats were too busy talking to each other to notice her right now.

She saw him sitting atop one of the graves, his back to her. She didn't want to startle him, so she cleared her throat and said, "Hello." The man turned around to face her. His cerulean hair fell in his eyes and he had what appeared to be a red tattoo over his right eye. He wore a lengthy black jacket, the sleeves adorned with red filigree. He smiled kindly at her.

"Hello. What brings you to the cemetery? Did you lose a loved one? Waiting for someone?" Lucy thought it was an odd question, but she shook her head.

"I'm not really sure what I'm doing here." Though she didn't mean in the cemetery.

The man nodded, as if he understood there were things going on right now that she didn't understand. "I see. Please sit." She did.

"So why are you here?" Lucy inquired. "I mean, since you asked me, wouldn't it make sense if I asked you the same question?"

He laughed. "Yes, I suppose it would. To answer your question, I guess you could say I live here."

She gaped at his reply. "You live here?! But I don't see a house!"

"This cemetery is large. You'd be surprised." His eyes suddenly widened. "I never asked you your name, did I? How rude of me."

"It's Lucy." The man smiled at her.

"Lucy," he mused. "That's such a pretty name."

"I guess so," Lucy responded, more to herself than to the man.

The man studied her for a long time. "May I ask a favor of you, Lucy?"

"What is it?" she asked him warily. She didn't know this man, she shouldn't accept a request from him. Though she supposed it wouldn't kill her to at least hear what he had to say.

"Please, I beg of you, save my dear, sweet Erza. She hasn't been herself in years and I fear it is my fault. When the time comes, please don't kill her. Show her mercy. This is all I ask of you. Please, help her."

Lucy stared at the man in utter confusion. _What the heck?!_ she thought. _I don't even know him! What is he even talking about, for that matter?!_ "Wait, who are you?"

"Who are you talking to, Lucy?" She looked behind her. Natsu regarded her as if she was a lunatic.

"I was just..." She looked back to where the man was sitting, but he was gone. "Never mind."

"Hey, I think they're gone. We should probably go now."

"Okay." She studied Natsu. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere before, but she didn't want to ask him where, since that would have sounded odd, especially after that little episode only moments ago... She then noticed his red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Natsu...were you crying?" He didn't answer her for a while, but then he nodded slowly.

"Her name was Lisanna," he said after several moments of silence. "She was my girlfriend until a few years ago. The Red queen executed her for loving me, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. The only thing I could do was take her body from the castle and bury her here." He looked down at the ground and bit his lip, obviously trying to hold back tears.

Lucy hugged him. "I'm sorry to hear that. When I was younger, maybe ten years old, my mother died. I snuck into her bedroom and shook her, telling her to get up so we could play. But she didn't wake up. Later, my father came into my room and told me she had died. A few years later I found out that she was sick and the illness had finally killed her. The sad part is, I never got to say goodbye, never got to tell her I loved her or anything." Lucy cried, for the first time in seven years, over her mother's death, while Natsu held her in his arms, trying to comfort her over her loss. They stayed like that for a while, and deep within Lucy's mind, she thought, _I wish I could stay like this for a little while longer..._

* * *

Gray Fullbuster burst into the throne room, stopping only to bow and get down on one knee in front of his queen.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. We lost her. She disappeared."

"Disappeared? What do you mean 'she disappeared'? Answer me!" the queen yelled, standing up from her throne in her fury.

"We don't know. The scout party we dispatched was following her scent until it was just...gone. We did, however, discover she was not alone."

"Who was with her?"

Gray sighed heavily. "Natsu Dragneel," he said wearily.

The queen looked horrified. And angry. Very angry. "Natsu is alive? Find him! And when you do, bring him to me!"

The queen sat back down on her throne, clenching and unclenching her fists, barely noticing the pain of her manicured fingernails biting into the skin of her palm. _Natsu Dragneel? But how? I ordered for him to be executed! But then who?... Someone betrayed me! Someone will pay for their treachery!_

* * *

The cats flew off ahead while Natsu and Lucy walked at a leisurely pace behind them. Lucy glanced at Natsu for what was probably the thousandth time today. _I swear I've seen him before. But where?_

Then it hit her. She had seen him before. She just never met him. At least not _in person_. She thought of the man in her dream. Pink hair, same voice, same physique. _It may be him. He looks just like the dream boy._

But that didn't make any sense. Why would she dream about a man she never met? It's just not possible. Also, the dream boy seemed to love her. Natsu barely knew her. He couldn't have feelings for her after such a short time.

She thought about what happened back in the cemetery. She wished she could have stayed in his arms for a while longer. Was it possible that she was beginning to develop feelings for Natsu?

No. It wasn't possible. She barely knew him herself! She couldn't just fall for him when she's only known him for just over a day!

Could she?

Screw it. She made up her mind and decided to just ask him if they met. "Hey, Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"This might sound weird, but have we-"

"Shh." He held up a hand to silence her and he tilted his head slightly.

"They found us again." Happy and Carla looked fearful, while Lucy tried to hold in her fear in a weak attempt to keep herself from losing it altogether.

"Run!" Natsu shouted, and they all fled, Happy and Carla high into the air, and Natsu and Lucy deeper into the forest. Horses' hooves once again pounded against the dirt, only this time, it sounded like there were far more than before.

Natsu fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small bundle of cloth. "Eat this!" he said to her, extending his hand. Lucy took the small package from him and unwrapped it. It was a piece of chocolate candy. She scowled at him. Food, at a time like this? What was he thinking?!

"It'll make you shrink! Hurry and eat it!" She stuffed the whole treat into her mouth and chewed, and instantly she felt her body ache, followed by the ground rapidly rushing towards her. Natsu grabbed her by the back of her dress and unwrapped his scarf, enveloping her in the material and placing it in a nearby stream.

"You'll be safe. I promise you that, Lucy," he told her before turning away from her. Lucy caught a glimpse of a scar that ran across half the length of his neck. _Odd,_ she thought as she watched him retreat back into the forest and sit down on a tree stump.

The last time Lucy saw him, the Royal guard had him surrounded and Natsu had taken several of them out before a blond man with a lightning-shaped scar across his eye stunned Natsu with a bolt of lightning. He then ordered two of the guards forward and they chained his arms and legs before roughly shoving him into a wooden cage, taken as a prisoner of the queen.

* * *

Erza breathed in and out heavily and looked at Gray, who smiled at her. She leaned in to kiss him when her bedroom door swung open.

"Your Majesty!" Juvia, her handmaiden, leaned against the door, panting, and looked at the queen with a triumphant smile on her face, which quickly faded when she saw her and Gray in bed together. She cast her eyes to the floor.

"What is it, Juvia?" the queen asked her. "Good news, I presume?" The girl nodded, her blue waves glinting in the dim light of the bedroom.

"Yes, my queen. We have captured Natsu Dragneel. However, the girl was nowhere to be found."

The queen frowned, but then shrugged. "No matter. We will get her location from Natsu, by any means necessary."

Gray shivered, though it had nothing to do with the air against his bare skin. He knew how cruel the queen could be. The screams of prisoners still gave him nightmares.

"How much longer until they arrive?" the queen asked Juvia.

"They expect to arrive within the next two hours, your Majesty."

"Good. See to it that Natsu is brought to me right away."

"Yes, your highness." She bowed to the queen and flicked her eyes to Gray before exiting the queen's bedchamber. Once her footsteps faded down the corridor, Erza snuggled up to Gray.

"You heard the wench. We have two more hours until they arrive. Until then..." The queen straddled Gray before kissing him passionately.

* * *

Lucy sputtered. Water kept filling her mouth and she shivered violently from the icy water. She hoped the stream would end, so she could get out of the brook and onto dry land.

"What's this?" a small voice said before the scarf was lifted into the air. "This is Natsu's." Lucy looked at the owner of the voice. It was the little girl from the garden. Her navy blue hair was unbound and she wore a yellow and white striped sundress with blue sandals.

"Hey!" yelled Lucy. The girl shrieked and nearly dropped the scarf, but then she saw Lucy and gently rested the sodden fabric on a nearby rock. Lucy climbed off the muffler and waved to the girl.

"Hello!" she called to the girl. "My name's Lucy! What's yours?"

"My name is Wendy," the girl replied. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, hold on! I have some candy, if you want to get back to your normal size." Wendy handed Lucy a small piece of caramel and she bit into it, feeling herself grow taller almost instantly. "Thank you," she said to Wendy. The girl smiled.

"You're welcome." Her smile dropped and her features morphed into that of concern. "I was wondering, how did you get Natsu's scarf? What happened to him?" she asked Lucy, holding up Natsu's the wet accessory for emphasis.

Lucy frowned. "He shrunk me and then wrapped me in the scarf and sent me away from him. The last time I saw him, he was captured by the Red queen."

Wendy looked scared. "Oh no, Natsu! The queen will execute him if we don't get him back! Please, you have to help me get him back!"

"I promise I will. What do I need to do?"

Wendy thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened with excitement. "We'll go to the White Kingdom. It's not too far from here, and the queen may be able to help us rescue him. Come on." Wendy grabbed Lucy's hand, and together they traveled toward the White Kingdom.

* * *

"Your Majesty, I bring you Natsu Dragneel." Gray shoved the pink haired man into the throne room and forced him onto his knees. Natsu grunted, but didn't fight back.

"Natsu Dragneel," the queen said, standing up from her throne. "You are under arrest for falling in love, aiding a fugitive, and for assaulting Royal forces," she gestured to several men whose faces were badly bruised and swollen.

"They shouldn't have grabbed me," Natsu mumbled.

"You will be locked in the dungeon until you reveal the location of the Earthland girl. After that, you will be executed for your crimes against the kingdom. Do you understand?"

"I'll never tell you anything!" shouted Natsu. He ground his teeth. "Not after Lisanna."

The queen laughed. "Lisanna was a traitor to this country. I didn't want to execute her, but she broke the law and left me no choice."

"Bullshit! She was your friend! She trusted you, and you betrayed her!"

"Silence!" The queen glared at Natsu, then at her guards. "Take him away," she demanded.

The guards took hold of Natsu's arms and led him out of the throne room, but not before Natsu said, "What if it was Jellal? Could you execute him, Erza?" Gray glowered at Natsu and hit him over the head, knocking him unconscious. When the doors closed, Erza began to weep.

Juvia stood outside the throne room, watching as Gray and the guards led an insentient Natsu to the dungeon. She felt a pang of jealousy when she saw Gray, and thought of the sight she witnessed earlier.

_Juvia is tired of the queen's cruelty_ , she thought bitterly. With that thought, she followed the guards down the dungeon steps.

* * *

_The White Kingdom is beautiful_ , Lucy thought wondrously as she and Wendy entered the Kingdom. Everything was white, silver, or gray with light hues of blue, pink, purple, and yellow. The market and homes were small, yet they looked comfortable and cozy. Flowers bloomed everywhere she looked, and the market smelled of freshly baked bread and pastries. She inhaled deeply and grinned. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

"Excuse me," she vaguely heard Wendy say. She was in awe of the Kingdom's beauty. She was so distracted that she jumped when Wendy tapped her shoulder. "Sorry," she said. "The queen wants to see us now."

Lucy followed Wendy into the castle and down hallways until they arrived at queen's throne room. The doors swung open and they marched in and bowed deeply. There, sitting gracefully on the throne, was the queen. She smiled when she saw the two girls, and she stood up and sauntered over to them, her white-blonde hair swishing with every step she took.

"You don't need to bow to me," she said quietly. "Lift your heads and stand up straight." The girls did and the queen beamed at them. "Wendy! It's so good to see you again! I haven't seen you in months! What's going on? Why are you here? And who is this girl?"

"Natsu's in trouble!"

The queen's smile melted away into a more serious expression. "What happened? Tell me everything."

Wendy took a breath, preparing for a long explanation, but Lucy cut in before she could begin.

"Natsu was captured by the Red queen. I watched them take him away just a few hours ago."

The queen looked scared and her body shook with terror. "Natsu..." she whispered. The distress changed suddenly to determination and she turned to one of the knights at the throne room door.

"Please find Elfman and bring him to me immediately! This is an emergency!" The knight bowed and left the room in a hurry. The queen turned back to the girls. "We're going to get him back. I don't know how, but we'll figure something."

The door slammed open and a man walked in. His white-blond hair stuck up in sharp spikes and his muscled body was prominent underneath the battle armor. He bowed to her, a strangely graceful gesture for such a burly man.

"Brother," the queen said, and the man stood up straight. "What is it, Mira? What's happened?"

"Natsu's been captured by Erza!"

Elfman's brow furrowed. "How could she have found him ? Natsu's been hiding since-"

"I know, but somehow she found him and captured him. I don't even know how she found out Natsu was still alive."

"We'll get him out, somehow. I'll discuss plans with my troops and work something out."

Lucy watched the discussion with interest. Did they say Erza? _Please save my dear, sweet Erza._ She didn't think she imagined that, so could that man have meant the Red queen? And just who was he, anyway? She'd have to ask.

"Who's Erza? And why is Natsu so important?"

The queen, Elfman, and Wendy all turned to face her.

"Erza is the Red queen's name," the queen told her. "As for Natsu, he's part of our kingdom. The Red queen wants to rule over the entire country, starting with my kingdom, and she'll most likely use Natsu to get the information she needs to bring down my kingdom. That cannot happen. I hope what I told you makes sense. Um...I never got your name, did I?"

"It's Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia."

The queen froze.

"Then I was wrong," the queen mumbled. "She wants your location. If I'm right, then she'll torture Natsu until he gives up your location and then she'll either make you an ally, or she will kill you."

* * *

_Natsu's screams could be heard from the throne room_ , Gray noted with a shudder as he bowed to his queen.

"Any news?" she asked him.

"No, your Majesty. We're still trying to get information out of him. He won't say a word no matter what we do to him."

Erza sighed. Natsu always was the stubborn type. "Bring Merudy to the dungeon," she told Gray.

"Yes, your Majesty," he said before leaving the throne room.

Gray knocked on a lavishly decorated mahogany door. "Merudy?" The door swung open and a young girl with long, shell pink hair peeked out.

"What is it?" she asked, fidgeting with her rosy locks when she spoke.

"The queen wants you to get information out of one of our prisoners."

She followed Gray to the dungeon, where Natsu Dragneel was chained to a wall, bloodied and bruised.

"Natsu," said Gray. "If you just told us where to find this girl, this would have been over a long time ago. Now, can you tell us where to find her?"

"Go to hell, Gray," mumbled Natsu through swollen lips. The torturer, a blond man named Laxus, touched Natsu's chest and electrocuted him. Natsu screamed in pain as his body convulsed.

"Give it a rest, Laxus. We're going to do things differently," Gray told the tall man, who glared at Gray before heaving a sigh.

"Fine. I'm getting exhausted anyway." He leaned against the stone wall opposite Natsu and watched as Merudy gently touched Natsu's wrist, where glowing runes encircled his wrist moments later. She closed her eyes.

She sifted through Natsu's memories, trying to find the one Gray told her to look for before they came down here. She felt a nudge, a sign that he was trying to push her out of his mind, but she nudged back, refusing to leave and she dug deeper.

She found the memory a moment later, of Natsu wrapping the pretty blonde girl in his scarf and letting the current send her away to the north. She felt the nudge turn into a hard shove as Natsu tried desperately to get her out of his head.

Then she caught a glimpse of another memory, and she fell into it.

_"Hey Natsu, wait up!" A girl with short, white-blonde hair ran to catch up with Natsu. The boy laughed and ran further ahead. Finally, she caught up with him and she hugged him tightly._ "I love you," _she said softly. Natsu stared at her with brief surprise before he smiled._

_"I love you too, Lisanna." He kissed her softly._

_They were running again, but this time, they were running from the queen's army. Natsu looked over at Lisanna. She was terrified. He could see the fear in her eyes. He tried to fight-he refused to let them take Lisanna-but Gray froze his legs to the ground with his ice magic. Natsu's former friend looked at him sadly before waving his hand at the knights, signaling for them to capture the couple, and they were thrown into a cage and taken away._

_"No! Don't do this!" Natsu kicked and screamed, but it didn't do him any good, since he was locked in the dungeon and had a clear view of the execution grounds. Lisanna was chained to a wooden platform suspended over the moat. She struggled to free herself, but it was a wasted effort. The chains were too tight._

_"Release her!" Erza shouted, and someone pulled the wooden lever, releasing Lisanna into the_ _murky water._

_She didn't resurface until she stopped moving._

_"LISANNA! NOOOOO!"_

_She led him to the pit, where Lisanna's body was buried. Or rather, thrown. He pushed aside many, many corpses until he found her body. He held her close, unable to feel her warmth ever again. He held back the tears. It wasn't the time to cry. He had all the time in the world for that later. First, he had to get himself and Lisanna out of the Kingdom._

_"Are you ready to go?" His savior asked him, her short hair dimly shining in the moonlight. He nodded, climbing out of the pit with Lisanna's body._

_"Yeah. I'm ready."_

_He didn't think he could ever feel affection for anyone else. He was broken inside. He didn't even think he could have any more friends either, with the exception of Happy and Carla. It was better to be alone than to face the pain of caring about someone._

_He buried her in the cemetery, where most of his 'family' was buried. She would have asked to be buried here anyway. He covered her grave and kneeled in front of it, feeling hot tears roll down his cheeks. She shouldn't have died. She was too young, too happy, too...full of life. It wasn't fair._

_Never again would he care about anyone else besides Happy and Carla, much less love someone._

_She was soaking wet, cold, and lost._

_She said she was from Earthland. She was lost, and she wanted to find her way back home. He wanted to help her, but she helped him instead._

_He told her about Lisanna. In turn she told him about her mother. Then they held each other in each others arms, and for the first time since Lisanna's death, he cared for someone else other than his Exceeds._

_No. This was dangerous. He shouldn't care. He shouldn't have helped her. She would only get hurt if he stayed with her._

_But he couldn't help it._

Merudy pulled out of Natsu's mind and looked at Gray. "The river," she said. "He let the river carry her south."

"Good," said Gray, before he left the dungeon, probably to tell the queen the good news.

"I'm leaving," Laxus told her, his lightning shaped scar the only distinguishable feature in the dim light besides his blond hair. He exited the dungeon as well, leaving Merudy alone with Natsu.

"Why?" he asked her when the two men were out of earshot. "Why did you lie?"

She smiled softly at him. "Two reasons. The first would be that I understand. My adoptive mother was executed a few years ago. The second reason was Juvia."

Natsu's eyes widened when he heard her name. "Juvia?"

Merudy nodded. "You know it's okay now, right?" she said to the open space. After a moment, Juvia materialized from a puddle on the floor.

"Natsu," she said, kneeling on the floor before opening a small tub of ointment, which she rubbed on Natsu's wounds. He hissed in pain. "We're going to get you out of here," Juvia told him.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because," Juvia said with a frown. "You're Juvia's friend and she doesn't want to serve the queen anymore."

With those final words, she broke Natsu's chains for the second time.

* * *

Lucy watched the sunset from the second floor balcony of the castle, the symphony of bright hues slowly fading to blue. She had been in the palace for three days now, but she couldn't stop thinking about Natsu. She could only imagine what the Red queen was doing to him. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She hoped they would be able to free him before the queen executed him.

She thought about the conversation she had with the queen earlier.

_"Erza used to be our ally," she told Lucy. "But after her husband, King Jellal, died, she went mad with grief. She stopped being the kind queen her country loved, and became a tyrant and she killed all who opposed her._

_"My sister, Lisanna, was a victim of her rule. She fell in love with Natsu and the queen had her executed for it." The queen's eyes became glassy when she talked about her sister. Lucy wanted to comfort her, but didn't know if she'd get in trouble or not, or if she could even comfort the queen in the first place._

_"Natsu was in hiding until he met you. You must have been important to him if he gave himself up for you."_

_"I suppose."_

_The queen grinned mischievously. "Maybe he has feelings for you," she said. Lucy nearly spit out her tea in surprise._

_"I doubt it," she said, feeling her face grow hot. "We haven't even known each other that long." Though she was beginning to question her own feelings for the man. Not that she would tell the queen that._

_The queen smiled, as if she knew what she was thinking. "Anyway," she said, serious now. "There's something I think you should see."_

_She took Lucy to her library and opened a large book to a specific page. "This book holds the history of Magnolia, and it contains the ancient prophecy," she said. "You should read it."_

_Lucy leaned over the book and began to read._

"The Five Kingdoms were once harmonious, each Kingdom ruled by a benevolent Queen or King. This was so for many centuries.

"However, this could not last. The Kingdoms warred against each other, vying for power over all others. This war lasted for half a century, and was the very war that eradicated the entire Light Kingdom. Nevertheless, there was one survivor. The young princess, who watched the brutal execution of her family before her very eyes, escaped Magnolia by using one of the Gates, and stayed in Earthland for the remainder of her life."

_"That's horrible," Lucy said quietly, tears burning her eyes. "How could someone slaughter an entire Kingdom?"_

_"Power drove them mad," the queen said. "So mad that they were willing to murder anyone who stood in the way of that power, even children. It truly is horrible. What's sad is that history likes to repeat itself, this time in the form of Queen Erza."_

_Lucy wiped away her tears and read the prophecy._

"There shall come a time when Magnolia is plunged in despair, and so it shall be that princess Sirina's descendant will arrive in our world in its time of need. She will bring life to the fields and prosperity to kingdoms. She will be blessed with the gifts of her ancestors, the Power to summon the Celestials and the Sight. She will enter this world, and it shall sing with her presence. It is she who will defeat the evil rulers of this world, and harmony will be restored."

_"So you think that this girl is me? And what's a Celestial?" Lucy said to the queen, looking up from the book._

_"The Celestials are the gods of Magnolia. They rule over this world from Above. And yes, I do believe you are the girl."_

_"How can you be so sure that I'm her?"_

_The queen flipped through the book until she came to a page that depicted_ _several family_ _trees._

_"The five Royal families of Magnolia," she said. "There's the White Kingdom, the Red kingdom, the Iron kingdom, the Rune Kingdom, and the Light Kingdom, which fell apart over three centuries ago." Lucy read the names on the family trees, and her eyes widened when she read the Light Kingdom's._

_"Heartfilia is my last name," she said quietly, her voice slightly louder than a whisper._

_"Yes," the queen replied. "The Heartfilias ruled over the Light Kingdom until its destruction. Princess Sirina fled Magnolia in fear of her life, never to be heard from again. I believe you are the girl in the prophecy, Lucy. I believe it's you because no Earthlander can travel back and forth between the two worlds, and you share the last name of the former princess."_

_"Even if I am the girl in the prophecy, how do you know I can save your world?"_

_"Because I have faith in you."_

Lucy watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, staining the sky sapphire. She really should get some rest. She had a long day ahead of her, after all. She thought about what the queen said to her after she read the prophecy.

_"Tomorrow we will send our troops to battle against the Red queen's army. It's time we put an end to her tyrannical rule."_

Lucy closed the doors to the balcony and shut the curtains. She sunk into the soft bed and thought about Natsu. _I hope he can hold on until we rescue him,_ she thought nervously. She shut her eyes and fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.


	3. Of Roses Red and Sunlight Gold

Gray stood on the front lines, next to his queen, staring at the rapidly lightening sky. The battle would start at sunrise, and though he fought in various battles before, this was the first time he felt like deserting. Maybe it was because it wasn't a just cause. Erza wasn't thinking straight, and she refused to listen to any of her advisors.

She wasn't herself anymore. It was like she was a different person altogether.

_Erza's sobs echoed through the cemetery. She knelt on the ground next to Jellal's grave. Killed in battle by one of his subordinates; an arrow through the heart. Jellal fought bravely, no doubt, but that held no comfort for his wife. Gray knelt on the ground beside her, putting an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. She crept closer to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck._

_"He shouldn't have died," she said, tears choking her voice. "He was going to be a father. Now he'll never get to see his child's face. Why? Why?!"_

_Gray said nothing, just held her tighter. They were childhood friends, and he was her most trusted, next to Juvia. He made a silent promise to himself. If he could, if there was any way, he would do anything to ease her pain._

_Erza had locked herself in her chambers for what was going on two weeks now. Nobody but him and Juvia were allowed to go in, and the woman that lay in the bed was barely recognizable, even to them. She had wasted away to almost nothing, hadn't bathed in gods knew when-she was nothing more than a hollow shell of the woman she once was. First her husband, now her child. He couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she felt._

_"Gray," she murmured when he walked in. He closed the door behind him and walked to the foot of her bed._

_"Yes, my queen?"_

_"I need you to help me. Please."_

_He stared at the gaunt woman lying in the bed quizzically. "What would you have me do?"_

_"Make love to me, Gray."_

_His eyes widened. Make love to her? He was about to open his mouth to object-it was his queen, not to mention his childhood friend and the fact that he was a mere commoner compared to her-but then he remembered the promise he made. If this would help ease her pain, even if it was only a little, then he was more than willing to fulfill her wish. He unbuttoned his shirt before pulling back the covers._

Gray snapped out of the memory and glanced at the horizon. Not much time left until the battle started.

How he wished he could run away and leave the kingdom. But he stayed for Erza and for Juvia. Erza because he made a promise, and Juvia because, well...

"Erza," said a soft, feminine voice Gray recognized immediately. Mirajane, dressed in silvery battle armor, was flanked by two kings. She had changed since he last saw her. She looked...softer. And older, as well.

"Hello," greeted Erza, not sounding at all friendly.

"We're giving you one last chance to surrender. It doesn't have to end this way. You could surrender now and we'll have mercy upon you and your kingdom."

"Never," said Erza harshly. "I will rule this world. You will not get in my way of that."

Mirajane sighed, the two kings bristled beside her. "So be it," she whispered. With a fluid hand gesture, their armies readied their weapons. Erza smirked.

"Attack!" she shouted. Their armies advanced on each other, the battle commencing. Gray created an ice sword and sauntered up to the two kings. Time to fight his former allies.

* * *

Merudy and Juvia carried Natsu between them, struggling under his weight. The pink-haired man had passed out and was now dead weight to them. Juvia hoisted Natsu's arm further up her shoulders and glanced around the forest nervously. They were almost to the Allied Kingdoms' campsite. If they could get there in time, then they might be safe from the war. Not totally safe, of course, but hopefully they would be offered protection since they were traitors to the Red Kingdom.

Then she remembered she couldn't leave yet.

"Juvia is sorry," she said to Merudy, shoving Natsu onto her. The girl grunted under the extra weight and glared at her accusingly. She smiled apologetically and Merudy's eyes sparkled with realization.

"You're going after him, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Juvia won't leave without him."

"Be careful, Juvia. He's the queen's commander. I'm not so sure he'll go with you willingly."

"Juvia will have to try. I will not leave the kingdom without my beloved!" She then turned around and sprinted in the direction of the battlefield, leaving Merudy alone with an unconscious Natsu.

* * *

Gray eyed his opponents. Gajeel Redfox, the Iron king, had long, wavy black hair, sharp red eyes, muscular body, and a multitude of piercings. He looked more like an executioner or bandit than a king. Freed Justine, the Rune king, was the opposite. He was a lean man with long green hair and gentle green eyes with a disposition to match. Unlike Gajeel, Freed actually looked the part of king. Yet, despite their looks, they weren't battle-bred kings for no reason-something Gray knew well. And both kings sized him up as if determining his physical prowess with a mere glance.

"You can both come at me if you want," Gray said, twirling his ice sword between his fingers. "It makes no difference to me."

"Don't get arrogant before the fight has even begun," Freed warned him. "You can back down now and we will not fight you, but if you stay-"

"Geehee. We'll take ya on," Gajeel growled, amusement lacing his voice. "If you're so eager to fight us, then we'll give ya one hell of a fight."

"Gajeel, you fool! We can't-"

"Fine," Gray interrupted, materializing another sword. "Just don't run off in the middle of battle. I can't stand that."

Gajeel and Freed both readied themselves and drew their weapons, Gajeel's a serrated iron broadsword: Freed's a long, thin blade covered with glowing runes. Gajeel charged first, grinning like a maniac. He raised his sword above his head and brought it down hard, and Gray blocked with one of his ice swords. The serrated blade cleaved the ice in two and Gray jumped back in order to avoid having a body part lopped off. However, Gajeel wouldn't give up, leaping at Gray and showering him with blows. Gray dodged as many as he could and blocked with his remaining sword as rarely as possible.

"What's the matter?" Gajeel taunted. "Ya too scared to fight me head-on cause of yer weak-ass weapon?"

Gray smirked. "Not at all. Just because my ice sword couldn't hold up against your blade doesn't mean I'm scared." Gray immediately put up an ice fortress, sealing himself inside and baffling his opponents.

"The hell is he doin'?" Gajeel asked incredulously. "He does realize he's fighting us, right?"

"Don't let your guard down, Gajeel," Freed muttered, staring at the icy confines. "He's obviously planning something and needed to buy some time." He closed his eyes and covered his face with one hand. Gajeel stepped back as Freed's body glowed with runes before being covered in armor.

"Are ya seriously that worried?" he asked Freed, who turned his armored head to look at him.

"Of course I am," he said, his voice deeper within the armor. "The only people who do such things as Gray did during a battle are cowards or those who need to buy time for something bigger. And Gray is no coward."

No sooner had he spoken, the ice fortress exploded, shards scattering in every direction. Gajeel shielded his face, ice chips burying themselves into his arms. He lowered his arms a moment later to see Gray standing tall in front of them, black markings covering a portion of his body and a thick ice sword in his hands.

"The hell happened?!" he yelled to Freed, who cocked his head thoughtfully.

"He activated his magic," he answered, tension creeping into his voice. "He can use slayer magic, meaning he's far more powerful now than before."

"Are you done talking so we can get back to fighting?" Gray said calmly. "I'd rather not drag this out."

Both kings charged at the young man, weapons raised high and fierce determination etched into their faces. Gray blocked their strikes with his sword. Not even a scratch appeared on the ice.

"Where did you learn this magic?" Freed asked him, blocking a hit from Gray's sword, the ice screeching against the metal.

"I didn't learn it exactly," he said, dancing out of the way of Gajeel's weapon, the sword striking the ground and chewing up the earth. "It was unlocked."

"That ain't possible!" shouted Gajeel, his sword whizzing over Gray's head with a whistle. "If magical power could be unlocked, we'd all be a hell of a lot stronger!"

"It's rare, but there are people with the power to unlock magic. Unfortunately, the only woman we knew who could do that is dead now." He launched icy projectiles at his opponents, and both men struggled to block them all. "Ultear was a traitor, and we had no choice but to kill her."

"What could she have possibly done to deserve death?!" Freed shouted, finally losing his composure. "Your kingdom has slaughtered hundreds of innocents due to your absurd laws! I doubt she did anything serious enough to be considered treasonous!"

"You're right," said Gray, placing a hand on the ground and freezing the earth beneath the kings' feet. They quickly jumped back to avoid having their feet frozen to the ground. "All she did was unlock her daughter's magical power. But she didn't ask for Erza's permission to do so, and she considered Ultear a threat for acting on her own." He swung his ice sword, catching Freed's arm and slicing the blade down, breaking his armor and the skin beneath. The Rune king hissed in pain. "As punishment for her actions, Ultear was executed and her daughter was forced to use her magic to interrogate prisoners."

"You're sick," Gajeel snarled, bringing his blade down. Gray tried to block, but Gajeel was faster, the blade sinking into Gray's leg, shredding the clothing and skin. Gray screamed in agony, but he refused to go down, instead dropping his sword and placing both hands on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Freed demanded, blood leaking from his arm and coating his armor.

"Look around you," said Gray, gritting his teeth in pain. Freed and Gajeel took in their surroundings in full for the first time since the battle started. Ice surrounded them, shards of all sizes and lengths protruding from the earth in a semicircle. Within the semicircle, ice covered the ground, shining brightly in the morning sun. Freed noticed, with alarm, that Gray had backed them into the circle that appeared to be more like a cage of sorts.

"Heh. Clever bastard," Gajeel muttered. Freed stared at Gray, equal parts impressed and fearful.

"I'm sorry," Gray said, sounding genuinely regretful as he formed dozens of icy needles. "I can't fail my queen or the girl I love. I refuse to return to them as a defeated man. And because of that, I'm sorry that I have to do this." With a quick gesture of hands, the ice shards flew at the kings, now backed into the icy cage. Gray winced and looked away so as not to see the impact. Only after a few moments did he look back and walk over to them. They were still alive, but terribly wounded, blood flowing quickly from their bodies. They were both motionless. That was fine with Gray. He just wanted to get the fight over with, so he could search for Juvia.

A sharp, agonizing jolt of pain sent him to his knees. He looked down at his leg, where Gajeel struck him with his sword. The leg of his leather pants was in tatters, clearly exposing the wound. It was large and deep, hot blood rapidly spilling from the gash. Bits of flesh hung at the edges, and if he looked closer into the laceration itself, he thought he could see muscle. He removed his shirt, placing it over the injury to staunch the blood flow and so he couldn't see the gruesome thing.

His head pounded, vision becoming blurry. He started to wonder if these were his last moments. Juvia's face flashed into his mind, filling him with warmth. He wouldn't be able to search for her in his current condition, and most likely would never see her again.

_I'm sorry, Juvia,_ he thought, clenching his fists. _Please don't hate me for leaving you. I..._

He crawled across the battlefield, searching for a more peaceful place to spend his final moments.

* * *

Lucy wandered around the castle, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. She couldn't find the armory and was now hopelessly lost. If they had just taken her with them when they left, she wouldn't be lost in the first place!

She wanted to fight. She didn't want to sit back while people died. Besides, she felt partially responsible for the battle today. Shouldn't she make up for the mess she might have just accelerated? It didn't seem fair to her, so she decided that, if they were just going to keep her from going to war, then she would go to them and fight alongside the knights.

"Lucy?"

The young woman froze. She recognized Wendy's voice and bit her lip. An idea formed in her mind. Slowly, she turned around and smiled at the girl. "Hi, Wendy. I'm a little lost. This castle is so big, you know? Oh, I know! Can you please give me a tour so I can find my way around next time?"

She laughed. "Sure. I used to get lost all the time. I'm sure nobody would mind."

"Thank you, Wendy." Perfect. She was practically going to lead her to the armory.

An hour later, Lucy still followed the girl around, her mind flitting between the battle and Wendy's tour. She couldn't keep checking out every bedroom and every ballroom! When Wendy opened the door to yet another dining hall, quite possibly the seventh she saw so far, she nodded absently and drifted back into her thoughts. It was beginning to drive her mad!

"And here we have the armory..."

Lucy stopped walking and stared at the iron door that loomed in front of her. She was finally here! All that was left was to take out the necessary armor, steal a horse, and get to the battlefield. Unfortunately for her, she noticed Wendy had started walking again and noticed she hadn't followed.

"Lucy? Why did you stop?"

"Um..." Not good. "Why can't we go inside like with the other rooms?"

"It's off limits," Wendy explained. "Only knights are allowed to go in there during practice and battles."

Definitely not good!

_Let us help you,_ a disembodied voice whispered. Lucy scanned the area, looking for the person who spoke to her.

"Who are you?" she muttered.

"What?"

_We are the Celestial twins, Gemini. With your word, we will take your form and lead the child away._

"Okay, but how do I know I can trust you?"

"Lucy, who are you talking to?"

In a shadowy alcove behind Wendy, Lucy saw what appeared to be...her? She looked harder. Yep, that was definitely her hiding back there. Her imposter waved to her and gestured for her to come closer.

"Never mind. Lead on."

Wendy turned around and headed off in another direction and Lucy began to follow, only for the imposter to stop her.

"Okay, who are you?" she demanded quietly.

"We told you, we are Gemini, and we wish to help you get to the battlefield. If you are worried we will harm the girl, we give you our word that we will not. We swear on our home Above."

Lucy stared at her...it...whatever it was, for a moment before relenting. "Fine. But if I find out that you hurt her in any way, you will regret it." How she would follow through with the threat was beyond her thought process right now. Gemini smiled a familiar yet foreign grin at her before following Wendy down another corridor. Lucy looked around, making sure there were no witnesses, before she slipped into the armory.

She had never seen so much armor in one place. Rows and rows of armor and shields lined the walls, while weapons and battle accessories were stacked in organized piles on shelves. Lucy searched through the rows and piles for something that would fit her.

She had passed over it three times before she finally noticed it. It was armor unlike any she had seen before. It looked to be made of out of rose-colored gold, and was emblazoned with what appeared to be zodiac signs. It was surprisingly beautiful. At first glance, she thought it would be too small, but after inspecting it more, she decided to try it on. It fit perfectly. She searched through the weapons and found a matching sword-a rapier, if she remembered correctly-and sheathed it before sneaking out of the armory, closing the door as softly as possible behind her.

The stables were outside, in full view of the castle, and she was lucky there were no guards posted. Stealing a horse seemed tricky enough, and would have been far more difficult had there been a guard. She found one that looked to be the right size and height for her, and she saddled the horse before leading it out of the stable. Once she was far enough away from any prying eyes, she hopped on the saddle and rode off to the battlefield.

* * *

Juvia wandered the battlefield, searching for Gray. She knew he was supposed to be on the front lines, but she didn't see him. She knew the risk she was taking by staying here on the field rather than look for him on the sidelines, but she didn't care. Gray was worth any risk.

She finally found him. He was propped against a boulder, breathing heavily. Juvia felt her heart lift for a moment, but then she saw his mangled leg.

"Gray!" she yelled, running towards him. She knelt on the ground next to him and examined the wound. It was deep and already beginning to get badly infected, but didn't appear to be fatal, and he certainly wouldn't be able to walk on his own.

"Juvia, what are you doing here?" he asked her, his voice rasping with pain.

Juvia ripped the skirt of her dress and laid the scraps on her lap. Then she pulled out a small bottle from a pocket in her dress bodice. "Breathe," she said, giving him a moment to do just that before she poured the contents of the bottle onto his wound. Gray screamed and Juvia winced. She wished she didn't have to cause him any more pain. She wrapped the piece of fabric tightly around his leg, tying it and moving closer to him so she could wrap one of his arms around her shoulders.

"We're leaving," she said, standing up and supporting Gray's weight. "Merudy tried to get Juvia to leave the kingdom but refused to leave without you." She bit her lip, holding back the words she had been longing to say for years. _I love you, Gray._

"You should leave me," he said to her. "I'm injured and I'll just hold you back. It would be faster and easier to go alone."

"No!" Juvia shouted. "I will not leave without my beloved!"

Gray's eyes widened for a moment before softening. He smiled at her. "Lead the way, then."

* * *

Lucy could no longer feel the lower half of her body. She had been sitting on the horse long enough that the constant trotting of hooves against dirt had lulled her legs to sleep. The pain had set in about an hour after she started riding, the painful tingles several minutes later, and an hour after that she felt nothing from the waist down.

She itched to get off the horse and start walking.

She didn't have much to do on the ride to the war zone, so she decided to ponder the creature that had helped her back at the palace. It said it was a Celestial named Gemini. She couldn't put the pieces together at first, but now that she had time to process things, she had figured it out. Queen Mirajane said that the Celestials were the gods of Magnolia. Lucy also recalled part of the prophecy. It said the girl would have the power to summon the Celestials. If that was true, and Gemini was one of these Celestials, then...maybe she really was the girl in the prophecy.

_Accept that you are,_ her conscience whispered to her. Only it wasn't her conscience. It certainly sounded like her, but there was a slight accent in the voice that was definitely not hers. Lucy closed her eyes and heaved a sigh.

"Not now," she muttered. "I cannot go crazy before going to war."

_You're not crazy, child._

Great. The voice was trying to comfort her. Totally not crazy at all! She rubbed her eyes and shook her head as if to release the voice from her brain. A charred scent tickled her nostrils and she spurred the horse forward, glad for the minor distraction.

Lucy saw and smelled the smoke from the battlefield long before the battle itself was visible. She pushed the horse faster, hoping she could make it in time. _Come on, come on, come on,_ she thought nervously. During the ride there, her mind had gone to dark places and assumed the worst. _Everyone is dead. They lost. There's no hope for this world. I will never be able to return home._

The thoughts scared her as much as the battle ahead of her. Magnolia's fate would be in her hands. That was a lot of pressure. What if she failed? What would happen to Magnolia then? She tried to push that thought out of her mind as she finally arrived at the battlefield.

Having lived a comfortable life as a child, as well as living in a peaceful time, she wasn't used to death or war. This battle made her realize just how lucky she was. Corpses littered the ground, their blood staining the earth crimson. There were dead horses, broken weapons and armor, and the occasional limb resting on the ground. The smell of death and rot in the still heat made her gag and cover her nose with her hand. Tears stung the back of her eyes. It was horrible. How could someone use _this_ to achieve their goal? Lucy dismounted her horse and unsheathed her sword, hoping she could be of any use, even if it was just getting the wounded to a healer.

The sound of steel ringing against steel made Lucy's blood turn icy in her veins. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to turn back, to leave, but she pressed forward. This is why she came here, after all. She would not turn back when she was so close. Soldiers clashed with each other, and Lucy choked back a scream when a red-clad knight crumpled to the ground in front of her, blood spraying from the gash on his neck.

It suddenly dawned on her that she should not be here. She never picked up a sword until now, much less knew how to properly use it! Sure, she watched the White queen's royal guard train for the upcoming battle, but now that she thought about it, it wasn't enough to just watch. She could easily die in the next few minutes, just like that knight. She should really just turn back while her head was still attached to her shoulders.

_But what about Natsu?_ the voice whispered to her. _You came here to help him_ and _to fix what you may have hastened. Are you really going to run away now? What became of all that courage earlier, hmm? Or you could let me in and I'll fight for you._

_No. Why would I do that? And who even are you, anyway?_

_My name is Sirina Heartfilia,_ said the voice. _You can probably guess that I am your ancestor, and I would like to help you win this war. All you have to do is let me in. I'm far stronger than you_ , _anyway._

"Shut up," she muttered. "I can win this on my own." Lucy gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She didn't care to admit it, but Sirina was right. She was weak. She may not be able to fight if it came down to it. She should just run. No, what was she thinking? Even though she came here only several days ago, there were people here that she cared about, and they may be on the battlefield right now. Who was she to run away when they were fighting for this world-the same world her ancestors came from? No, she wasn't going to run away. She was going to fight alongside them like she originally planned. She was stronger than her fear, she could do this!

She placed one foot in front of the other and strode across the battlefield. Swords sang a bloody and fatal symphony around her, knights fell to the dead earth while the life slowly ebbed from their bodies, arrows and cannonballs struck the ground like meteors, yet she persisted, unwavering in her newfound determination. Her eyes scanned the sea of carnage around her, searching for someone in need who she could assist.

* * *

The two women faced each other on the battlefield. Mirajane couldn't believe it had come to this: former friends about to fight each other to the death. She almost laughed at the turn of events. They had known each other since they were both children learning the ways of royalty. Why did it have to come to this? Was it fate? Circumstance? She didn't know, nor did she care. All that mattered was that she would have to kill her to save the lives and freedom of countless citizens of Magnolia. She could not fail.

"That look suits you," Erza said to her. Her face was a mask of insanity; Mirajane's the look of anxious determination. "It looks better than the pathetic innocent face you've worn all these years."

Mirajane clasped her weapon-a silvery katana-with both hands and charged at the madwoman. Erza expertly blocked her and pushed her back with her claymore, rushing her with a blow of her own. She ducked as the blade swung over her head, whistling past her ear with a deadly hiss.

"Please stop this," Mira pleaded, a last ditch effort to stop the queen. "There's no need for all the bloodshed. You can surrender right now and we'll give you mercy."

Erza scoffed. "I won't stop this. I will conquer this world and I will force you to watch as everything you built goes up in flames under my rule. Mark my words, Mira."

"I suppose there's no swaying you, after all," she said, a sad note of finality in her voice. With an exhale, she rushed Erza, sword raised high above her head. She brought the slender blade down-

Only to discover Erza had dodged. The red-haired woman ducked and rolled under the blow, and was currently crouched on the grass several feet away.

"Sis!" came a familiar voice.

_No,_ thought Mirajane. _Please, not now._

Elfman rushed toward Erza with his war hammer raised, muscles rippling under the exposed skin of his arms. Erza grinned wickedly at the approaching warrior.

"Don't you dare, Erza!" she screamed, fear paralyzing her heart. The Red queen jumped back as the hammer struck the earth, sending dirt and grass flying into the air. She sprinted behind him and gripped his mane of long white-blond hair, pressing the blade of a dagger to his neck.

"It appears I have the advantage now," she purred, gently sliding the blade along his neck. "Now, if you care about your precious brother, you will do as I say or he will die."

"Stop! Please, just let him go!"

Erza laughed. "Well, this is certainly a rare sight. I never thought I would see the magnanimous Mirajane groveling at her feet for the life of a mere pawn. But I won't let him go, no matter how amusing the sight of you is. Now, drop your weapon."

Hesitantly, she did, the steel blade clattering to the ground.

"Good. Now call off your army and leave. Surrender to me or he dies."

"But I..."

"Don't do it, Mira!" Elfman shouted. Erza hissed in annoyance and dug the blade into his neck, blood beading from the newly-formed wound before dripping down his neck.

"I can't! We can't let you win!" the White queen cried, tears glossing over her eyes.

"I see. So that's how it is, then." She plunged the blade into Elfman, slicing it down the length of his neck and down to his chest. Blood spurted from the wound, pouring down his neck and chest like a fountain.

"NO!" Mirajane shrieked.

Lucy arrived just in time to see Elfman fall to the ground, blood staining the ground beneath him. Erza grinning evilly and triumphantly at her deed. And Mirajane, furious as black veins crept up her body. She looked almost...demonic.

"Queen Mirajane!" Lucy rushed to the queen's side. She didn't notice the girl's arrival. She glowered at Erza, breathing heavily as the black veins snaked up her neck.

"How dare you," she growled, but her voice was deeper, not her own. She began to change, brought on by the blind rage. "You will _pay_ for killing him."

"Mirajane, stop! Elfman's still alive! He can still be saved!"

It was enough to halt the queen in her anger. Lucy continued. "He's alive, Mira. But he will die if you don't get him to a healer back at camp. He's the only family you have left. Do you really want him to die when you still have the opportunity to save him?"

"But Erza-"

"I'll handle her. You just get Elfman back to camp. I know how badly you want revenge, but Elfman's life is more important right now."

It was enough. Mirajane was visibly calming down, the black veins fading with her rage. Tears glistened in her eyes and on her cheeks. She looked at Lucy with gratitude before heaving her brother onto her shoulders and leaving the field.

"You're not going anywhere!" Erza shouted, rushing them with her sword. Lucy held her own sword out in front of Erza to stop her, nearly falling down from the force of the impact.

"I'm your opponent now," Lucy said, her voice shaking with barely concealed fear.

"Oh?" Erza questioned. "You? A weak little girl? Don't make me laugh! You can't even hold your sword properly! What makes you think you can take me on in battle?"

Lucy hesitated. She doubted she could. But she would have to try.

That hesitation was all Erza needed. She struck at Lucy, knocking the sword from her hands and slicing her forearm. Lucy grit her teeth in pain. The queen sneered at her, raising her sword above her head.

"Goodbye, little girl," she muttered. She brought the blade down.

_I'm going to die!_ Lucy thought in a panic. _Someone help me!_ She closed her eyes, waiting for the death blow...

But it never came. Lucy cracked open an eye, and saw a man standing over her, glowing fist raised to block the sword.

"What?" Lucy said, dazed at the turn of events. Erza glowered at the blonde girl's savior.

"You called, princess?" the man said, dancing out of the way of the blade and looked at her. He was quite handsome. With long tawny hair framing his angular face, black suit and animal print tie, and blue tinted glasses concealing his golden eyes, he reminded Lucy of a lion in human form.

"Um...ah, who are you?' she managed to utter. The man grinned at her charmingly.

"The name's Leo, but you can call me Loke," he said with a wink. "I heard you cry out and came to help you."

"But I never..." Then she remembered her last thought, of crying out for help.

"Look, you focus on her. I'll take care of her knights so you can fight her."

"Thanks!" she called out as he lashed out at several red-clad knights charging at her. She turned her attention back to Erza, grasping her sword tighter as she did so.

"This should be interesting," Erza said with a ferocious glint in her eyes.

* * *

Loke rushed toward the knights, raising his fists and knocking several out in just a few moments. He dodged and blocked, then attacked again, not giving them an opening. When he thought he had finally beaten all of them, more appeared. Loke sighed. Where were they all coming from?

"Regulus impact!" he shouted, an explosion of light blasting them away. The light faded, and Loke grinned. There were no more left, and no more appeared.

Then he heard a shriek from behind him. He whipped around, fear icing over his heart. Lucy was in trouble! He ran to her location, vaguely aware of his surroundings. He had to get to her now!

A hard shove knocked him to the ground. He fell to his hands and knees, burning pain where the knees of his pants ripped and shredded the skin beneath. He shakily got to his feet and faced the person who shoved him. A blond man stood in front of him, the light glinting off his hair. A lightning shaped scar cut across half of his face.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled. He cleaned his weapon, a serrated dagger, on one of the knight's underclothes, removing the blood coating the metal. "The queen's having fun right now. I can't let you interfere."

"You bastard!" Loke shouted. "My princess is in trouble! You will not get in my way!"

He barely finished his sentence when the man swung the dagger, the blade slicing down the front of his suit. Blood leaked from the wound, but, luckily, it was just a graze. The man grinned, a wicked show of teeth that seemed more like a snarl than anything. "Before I kill you, I should probably tell you my name," he said. "When you go down to hell, just tell them Laxus SLAUGHTERED YOU!" He charged at Loke, dagger swinging down with a metallic whoosh. He barely dodged the blow. With one last glance in Lucy's direction, he focused solely on his opponent.

_Sorry, Lucy,_ he thought. _When I'm finished with this guy, I'll come for you._ Light formed in his clenched fists, solidifying into a dangerous weapon. Ignoring the stinging pain of his injury, he sprinted towards Laxus, fist raised. Laxus swung the dagger, but Loke ducked underneath it, rising up and slamming his fist into the man's jaw. He flew backward, head snapping back, but didn't go down. Instead, he glared at Loke, eyes gleaming with rage.

"So that's how you wanna play this, eh?" He dropped his weapon and pulled something out of his pocket. Loke stared at him, confused, until he slipped the objects onto his knuckles, the metal spikes on the brass knuckles shimmering in the sunlight. Laxus ran at Loke, spiked fist aiming for his eyes. Loke crossed his arms over his face, blocking the hit. Pain ripped through his forearm, blood spilling a moment later.

"Damn it," Loke muttered through the pain. The sting became worse, turning into an agonizing burn.

"The spikes are poisoned," Laxus explained. "Soon you won't be able to move, and then you'll die. Think you can still take me down, pretty boy?"

"Yes," Loke said quietly. Ignoring the agony, he rushed Laxus again, this time feinting and socking him in the collarbone. He heard a satisfying crunch and Laxus hollered in pain. He swung at Loke with one of the poisoned spikes, but Loke saw it coming and spun out of reach, ducking and punching him square in the solar plexus. It was enough to knock the blond man to his knees. He glared at the Celestial, struggling for breath.

"How?" he gasped. "How can you...still move?"

"I'm not human," he replied, before Laxus stood up and yelled, slamming his armored knuckles into Loke's chest. The spikes dug into the wound, and Loke screamed. Pain ripped through his body, making it seem like acid was eating away at his insides. Perhaps it was. He grabbed Laxus's arm and pulled it away from him, twisting his arm in such a way that he heard an audible snap. This time, Laxus didn't cry out in pain, merely grunted. He tried using his free hand to stab Loke in the abdomen, but Loke hopped back, the spikes barely grazing his suit. He sprinted forth again, driving his fist into Laxus's chest and sending the blond man to his back, and this time he pummeled him. Loke realized, with concern, that he was slowing down, his movements becoming harder, more stiff. The poison was kicking in. Laxus could see this clearly and grinned savagely, blood stained teeth making the gesture more grotesque.

"You may have...beaten me," he choked out. "But you...will die. The poison...will kill you soon."

"I doubt that," he said as Laxus passed out, head lolling to the side. He climbed off the man, stumbling towards Lucy's battle. He wouldn't die from the poison-he was an immortal being, after all-but recovering from his wounds and affliction would take quite a long time. More time than he cared for.

He finally saw Lucy, facing off against Erza, and promptly collapsed to his knees. His vision blurred, the world around him tilting. He had used up too much energy in the fight, and the poison was draining him, making him weak. He wouldn't be able to stay in this world much longer.

_I'm sorry Lucy,_ he thought, unable to get the words past his lips. _In the end, I wasn't able to reach you. Please, forgive me..._

With those last thoughts, he faded away, golden light ensconcing him until he was gone.

Meanwhile...

"This should be interesting," Erza said, a ferocious glint in her eyes. Lucy turned away from her savior and focused solely on the queen, who looked her up and down as if studying her.

"You're such a pretty young lady," Erza mused. "I wonder how you would look covered in red?"

"You won't kill me. I'll beat you before you do that," said Lucy, though she wasn't confident of that fact.

"You cannot defeat me, little girl," purred Erza as she rushed Lucy with her claymore. Lucy tried to block, but Erza thrust her sword in between a crevice in her armor. Lucy screamed in pain, while Erza laughed, twisting the sword. Lucy struggled to get away, but Erza kicked her down and raised her sword and drove it into her thigh.

"You weak little girl. I told you couldn't beat me." She pressed her foot into Lucy's shoulder, pulling out a dagger and sliding it through Lucy's calf. She screamed louder. It _burned_. "But I won't kill you yet. I want to have a little fun before you die."

_If you let me in, I can defeat her for you,_ Sirina whispered. Lucy felt a nudge somewhere in the back of her mind, like something trying to force itself forward. She tamped the feeling down as best as she could.

_Why did you do that?_ Sirina asked her. _I could have taken control of you and beaten this woman._

_No!_ Lucy yelled. _I won't let you have control!_ She hissed in pain as Erza ran the dagger down her cheek.

"You know," Erza began conversationally. "Your friend Natsu wasn't nearly as entertaining as you. He was too strong to hold down."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked her though the pain.

"I killed Natsu." The queen grinned. "His cries of pain were like music to my ears. And all the blood! I forgot how much blood can spill from severed limbs. It's a shame there wasn't much left of him to decorate my throne room."

"No! You didn't!" Lucy felt despair creep into her heart, overwhelming even the agony of her wounds. Natsu couldn't be dead! It didn't seem possible! He can't...

"And you're next. I'll do to you what I did to Natsu, then I'll win this war and burn your kingdoms down!"

But Lucy wasn't listening. She shook with rage, feeling the nudge in her head grow far stronger than before. "No... You killed him... HOW COULD YOU?!"

_Yes,_ Sirina sighed.

Erza pulled off one of Lucy's gauntlets. Perhaps a finger to take as a prize? She readied the dagger, preparing to carve her mark into the girl, when her hand lashed out and smacked the dagger away.

"What?!" Erza exclaimed. She shouldn't be able to move through the pain! She looked half dead a moment ago!

"What a puny weapon," Lucy said, her voice quivering with rage...or was it delight? "Mutilating your enemies is your tactic? Hmm... Pathetic! To think it was your house that wiped out mine years ago!" Lucy pushed Erza off and stumbled to her feet. Her eyes shone with madness. "That girl was weak. She didn't even know how to properly hold a sword. Looks like I'm your opponent now!" Sirina, in Lucy's body, picked up her rapier, as well as Mirajane's abandoned katana, and charged toward Erza, both blades crossed over her body. She lashed out at the queen with a psychotic squeal of laughter, and Erza barely managed to block both swords. Sirina threw her weapons in the air, vaulted up, grabbed her swords midair, and landed gracefully behind Erza. The redhead spun around, blocking one sword. The other embedded itself in her side. She bit back a scream. Just what had happened to this girl?

_Let me out!_ Lucy cried. Everything around her was black. She felt her way around; she was in a dark room of sorts. Pressing her hands against the cool wall, she roamed the space, searching for some kind of exit. She remembered Sirina grabbing hold of her, but remembered nothing after that.

Wait...was she trapped inside of herself?! She was, wasn't she? How was that even possible?!

_I'm not letting you out,_ came Sirina's voice, quiet and innocent as ever. But Lucy knew better. Her ancestor was crazy! She had to find away to regain control of her body, and fast! Who knew what Sirina would do in her body?!

Erza watched the girl in front of her shake her head like an animal ridding itself of water. She could not, for the life of her, figure out what happened to her. She was a mewling babe one moment, and the next...she was like some of the war criminals she had executed, all foaming mouths and raving minds. Had she been hiding this all along? Was she being played, and the girl was merely waiting for her chance to strike? A sword whizzed past her ear, followed by a quiet shriek of metal. She focused on the girl again, not paying attention to her thoughts. Now was not the time.

Sirina pulled at a strand of long golden hair. "I'm wearing you down, aren't I?" Erza refused to answer. "I am. Don't bother denying it. I can see the weariness in your eyes. You look like some of the knights I killed before I left this wretched world. Their blood was so pretty when it spilled, you know."

"Who are you?" Erza demanded, suddenly terrified of the thing before her.

"That doesn't matter, does it? After all, I could ask you the same question."

"I suppose it doesn't." Erza charged toward her opponent, and she did the same, their swords meeting with a squeal. Erza jumped back, avoiding the flurry of blows that followed. Sirina roared with laughter, thrusting her sword into Erza's abdomen and twisting the blade. Erza grit her teeth through the pain, determined not to cry out. When Sirina yanked the sword out, Erza sliced the blade of her own sword down the girl's armored chest, shattering the metal. The blonde glanced down at the broken armor, expression grim at first before launching herself at the queen.

Lucy had given up on trying to find a door. Instead, she decided to push, recalling the sensation she felt in her head before she found herself here. At first, the wall seemed rock solid, but now it felt like it was giving way under her fingertips.

_Wait, no!_ Sirina shrieked. _Stop pushing! STOP IT!_

Lucy smiled. She was getting closer to regaining her body. Sirina wouldn't be panicking if she wasn't. Lucy continued to push, until...something gave way under her hands. She stumbled forward and stepped back into herself, ignoring Sirina's screams of rage as Lucy banished her.

Lucy touched her cheek, feeling the blood run down hot and sticky. She was back! Her body burned with pain, but she ignored it upon seeing her opponent.

Erza was breathing heavily, barely staying upright. She was covered in injuries, blood hiding many of the worst. Just what had happened while she was gone?

"You..." Erza trailed off, staring at the blonde girl. "You look sane again! Stop toying with me, _you bitch!_ "

Lucy dropped the katana in her hand and clutched her rapier with both hands, charging towards Erza. They were both wounded; they both could fall with one blow. And they both knew it. So they rushed towards each other, screaming with power, letting the adrenaline flood through their systems. Their swords clashed, steel clashing mightily against steel. And then they fell.

Both women struggled to get up, but Lucy pulled herself up first, using her rapier as a crutch. Both women were a sight to look at: Lucy's armor was in terrible shape, destroyed and barely recognizable. The wounds from Erza's torture made her look in worse shape than she really was. Erza was unable to get up at all. Blood ran in rivulets down her face, her arms and legs a myriad of bloody marks. But, worst of all, a piece of her claymore had broken off and embedded itself into her heart.

"Come here," she murmured to Lucy. Reluctantly, Lucy inched her way over to the queen. Blood bubbled past her lips every time she took a breath. Tears fell from her eyes, her chest heaving in watery sobs. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice thick from blood and tears.

"Erza," said the blue-haired man, who appeared next to Lucy, startling the girl.

"Jellal?" mumbled Erza, her eyes widening at the sight of the former king.

"I'm here, my love."

"How?.." Lucy began, then trailed off, confused as to why he was here.

"She's dying, and because of your magical ability, she is able to see me." He turned his attention back to his wife.

Erza began to weep. "Jellal! I...I'm so sorry! I've done...awful things since you...you..." she broke down again, the tears mixing with her blood.

"I'm here now, Erza. Tell me what's wrong."

"I've killed people. I've laughed at...their pain. I...I've hurt so many people. You probably...hate me for...the things I've done." Her breaths came in wet rattles, blood seeping into her lungs, internally drowning her.

"I don't hate you, Erza. I can't blame you for what you did. I shouldn't have left you so early. You still needed me. I'm sorry."

"Please forgive me," she moaned.

"Of course I forgive you." He held out his hand. "Please, take my hand, Erza. Come with me."

Erza smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. Yet her eyes were shining as brightly as her smile in her final moments. Her hand appeared from inside her body and took Jellal's. Her spirit, as unblemished as it was before the war, had freed itself from the confines of her mortal body and followed Jellal. They smiled at each other and walked into the fading sun.

That was the last Lucy ever saw of them.

* * *

Lucy had stumbled back to camp later that night, exhausted from the battle and aching from her wounds. She had followed the knights back to camp, all of them as fatigued as she felt. She couldn't wait to lie down for the night and sleep until tomorrow afternoon.

The camp was huge. Torches lit up the grounds, tents scattered as far as she could see in various colors with flags denoting their kingdom of origin. It was overwhelming. She wandered around the camp, looking for her tent. Then she realized something...

She probably didn't have one! She had arrived unexpectedly, so they hadn't set up a place for her to sleep! And she doubted she would find someone willing to share their tent with her. She supposed sleeping outside in the cool air would do her good, though she had never slept on the ground before in her life.

"Lucy," a gentle feminine voice said to her side. She craned her head to see Mirajane staring at her, relief and disappointment warring in her sapphire eyes.

"Queen Mirajane!" Lucy exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you're okay!"

"I'm glad to see you're alive," she said. "I'll show you to your tent, unless you want to get your injuries checked before resting for the night."

"Please, show me to my tent."

They walked in silence through the camp, Lucy's eyes darting to the queen. She looked upset.

"Are you okay, your majesty?" she asked her.

"Yes," she said quickly. "I need to speak with you in the morning, so when you awake, please come to my tent." She looked away from Lucy then, stopping in front of a small silvery tent.

"This is yours," she told the girl. "Good night, Lucy."

"Good night!" she called out to Mirajane's retreating back. Then she disappeared into her tent. Lucy looked around, examining her quarters. The warm glow of the lamp set in the middle of the room gave her clear sight of her quarters. A chest sat in one corner; a quick inspection showed that it was filled with simple but stylish dresses in her size, as well as shoes, socks and undergarments. A large bedroll lay sprawled on the carpeted earth, pillows and blankets arranged neatly on top. Stripping down into comfy nightclothes, she extinguished the light and collapsed into the bed, sighing as warmth consumed her.

Yet, despite her earlier exhaustion, she was wide awake, staring into the inky gloom. She couldn't stop worrying about Natsu. Though she was certain Erza was lying when she said she killed Natsu, she worried that _something_ had happened to him. Did they rescue him from the queen? Was he really dead? Was he severely injured? The uncertainty of it all kept her awake. She couldn't take not knowing. She crawled out from the bed and stumbled over to the chest. Feeling around, she pulled out what felt like a dress. She changed out of her bedclothes and into the gown before sneaking out of her tent.

And now, after several wrong turns, she stood in front of the medical tent while night stretched on endlessly beyond the light of the camp. She adjusted her loose-fitting white dress before slipping inside. Rows of cots stretched from one end to the other, small tables littered with medical supplies were scattered among the beds. She walked along the rows, seeing nothing but unfamiliar faces.

What if he left already? No, that was impossible. They had just rescued him. He should still be healing. What if he was...? No! She would _not_ think like that! She _would_ _not_ let herself go there.

Her doubts were erased when Natsu appeared from behind a rice-paper screen she hadn't noticed before. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his arms and torso, and gauze pads were taped to his face and neck. Despite that, he looked surprisingly healthy. Lucy, consumed by relief, rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hot tears streamed down her face, soaking into the bandages wrapped onto his shoulder.

"You're alive," she whispered. To her, in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the battle that had raged on, not Erza, or Sirina's possession, or even getting home. Natsu's well-being was the only thing she cared about.

And seeing him, standing here very much alive, filled her with joy she hadn't experienced since her mother was still alive. She felt Natsu's arms wrap around her, returning the hug, and she resisted the urge to hug him tighter.

Then, without warning, darkness consumed her.

* * *

Lucy woke up on a cot, her body aching from sore muscles. She tilted her head to scan her surroundings, wincing at the stiffness in her neck.

"Oh, good," said a soft feminine voice. "You're finally awake." Lucy craned her neck, ignoring the unsettling popping, to see a petite blue-haired girl standing near the bed. She smiled, showcasing straight white teeth, and pulled back the blanket.

"Seems your injuries have healed quite nicely," she said, examining Lucy's body.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked her. The girl's expression turned surprised at the question.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "My name's Levy. I'm assisting miss Porlyusica in healing patients. You must be Lucy, am I right?"

Lucy nodded. "That's me." The events of yesterday rushed back to her, and she abruptly sat up, startling Levy.

"What's wrong?!"

"I need to speak with queen Mirajane! It's important!"

Levy inspected Lucy for a moment before shrugging. "You seem healthy enough to leave. I'll take you to her. I'm sure Porlyusica won't mind if I leave for a bit."

"Are you sure? I can just..."

"It's fine." She handed Lucy a coat, a ragged fur thing that looked enormous, even for her. She imagined it would have engulfed Levy had she worn it. "My fiancé refused to let me leave our tent until I took it with me," she explained. "But as you can see," she gestured to the orange jacket she wore over a white dress, "It's far too large for me. I'd surely trip if I wore it. It'll keep you warm, though, so please take it."

Lucy accepted the coat from her, wrapping it around her shoulders. It smelled faintly metallic and earthy, like its owner had worn it to hunt. She didn't mind, however, because Levy was right. It was indeed warm.

"Let's go," the bluenette said, holding open the tent's flap for her. They stepped out into the chilly dawn, Lucy squinting against the sudden brightness compared to the dim lighting of the tent.

"So," Lucy began. "You're engaged?"

"Yep," Levy said with a wide grin. "I was actually afraid that the war would ruin our plans, but since my fiancé came back alive, our marriage is still on." She played with a thin metal band around her finger that Lucy hadn't noticed before. "I'm getting married two months from now. I'm excited, of course, but I'm still surprised he chose me of all people."

"Why's that?"

"Girls like me don't normally get married to men like my fiancé often. In fact, it's been at least a century since a marriage like this happened. I'm a scholar in my kingdom-one of the few women to hold such a title. I suppose to most people that would seem like a big deal, but-"

"What are you doing?!" someone shouted as a brutish man climbed out of a tent Lucy could only assume to be one of the royal's private quarters. He was tall and muscular, his face angular and severe with metal studs punched through his nose, eyebrows, and chin. Bandages covered his bare chest and arms.

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted, running towards the hulking man. "You should be recovering! What are you doing up?! Lay down now!"

"I'm fine, Lev," he said, running a hand through his long black hair. "I don't need rest. I got a kingdom to worry about."

"You can worry about it when you recover!" Levy shot back. "How do you expect to rule a kingdom when you're in poor health?!"

_So this man is a king,_ Lucy realized. _He certainly doesn't look like one_. Levy, however, didn't seem to shrink back in his presence; instead she stood tall and talked back to him.

"You could get sick out here without a coat!"

"You're the one who-wait, who the hell are ya?" he asked Lucy. Lucy squeaked and met the king's intense ruby gaze.

"I-I, uh-"

"She needs to see queen Mirajane, and you need to go to bed."

"Geehee," the king snickered. "I ain't goin' unless you're comin' with me. Unless the blondie wearing my coat is actually your girlfriend and you're leaving me."

Lucy and Levy blushed simultaneously.

"Stupid Gajeel!" Levy shouted. Lucy just stared back and forth between the two and their...lover's quarrel?!

_She's getting married to a king?!_ she thought frantically, finding it hard to believe such a tiny sweet girl like Levy would marry such a scary-looking king. She now understood why Levy couldn't believe her fiancé chose her instead of another woman. She was basically a glorified commoner.

Yet she couldn't help but be happy for the couple as she berated her future husband while fighting a grin and as he wrapped his bandaged arms around her in a hug. She was happy she found love, but it also made her remember her own marriage. Maybe she should try to see the best in lord Ichiya. After all, Levy could see good in that brutish king; she should try following her example. Sure, Ichiya was obnoxious and a pervert...but there must be something good under that, right?

"Mirajane is in there," she told Lucy, gesturing to a tent several feet away. "I would love to stay with you, but I have to get this big dummy to lay down so he can recover," she said, glaring sharply at Gajeel, who grinned at her. She raised a hand in a silent farewell, and Lucy waved back. She jogged over to the large lavender-colored tent and disappeared inside.

Mirajane sat at a small table with another king, who was also covered in bandages. They looked up as she walked in and the king stood up from his seat.

"I suppose I should be taking my leave now," he said. "We will talk later, Mirajane." With a small smile at Lucy, he exited the tent, and now it was just her and the queen.

"Good morning, Lucy," she said pleasantly.

"Good morning," Lucy said in response, curtseying, the coat slipping off her shoulders and falling to a heap on the floor. She picked it up and rested it on a nearby chair. "How's Elfman?" Lucy was genuinely concerned for the knight, since the last she saw of him was when he was bleeding out on the ground.

"He'll live," Mira said, relief flooding her voice. "However, although I'm glad you arrived in time for me to get him to camp, you shouldn't have been on the battlefield in the first place! I left you at the palace to _protect you_ from Erza!"

Lucy didn't apologize; instead she held her head high and explained her actions.

"I couldn't sit back and watch as everyone fought a war that I may have a connection to. It didn't seem right to me. So I left the castle and fought alongside the knights. I don't regret my actions. I'm sorry for worrying you, but I came back alive. Is that not all that matters?"

Mirajane stared at Lucy with a mixture of shock and respect at her words. Still, Lucy didn't back down; simply raised her chin and held Mirajane's gaze. After a moment, the queen looked away and smiled softly.

"I suppose that is all that matters, really. You also saved Elfman's life, and I'm grateful for that. But please talk to me next time you plan to do something as foolish as this! I was worried sick, for Scorpio's sake!"

"Sorry for worrying you," Lucy mumbled. "There's actually something I need to discuss with you."

"What do you wish to discuss?"

"I think we should give Erza a proper burial."

"Why do you think that?"

Lucy took a seat across from the young queen and told her of the events that took place after she left the field. Mirajane sat in silence, listening intently to every word. After Lucy finished, she took a deep breath, exhausted from just speaking.

Mirajane was silent for several minutes, each passing second seeming like an eternity to the blonde. Finally, she spoke. "Okay. If what you told me is true, and it seems like it is, then it would only be appropriate to give her a proper burial. She deserves to be laid to rest after her heartache."

* * *

The burial was held the day after they returned to the White kingdom. They had loaded Erza's body onto a carriage and rode off to the Worthsea cemetery, where Jellal and Lisanna were buried. Only the royals and their most trusted were allowed to attend. It was a sad affair. Mirajane, Gajeel, and Freed laid her body into the earth, all with different reactions. Gajeel was grim-faced, focusing on the task at hand rather than the woman lying in the wooden casket. Freed stayed silent, like if he spoke, a hurricane of emotion would pour from his lips. Mirajane was an emotional wreck, crying and blowing her nose into a silk handkerchief. She had tried to speak; every attempt falling to pieces as sobs escaped her.

There were others there, as well. Levy, Elfman-who was still heavily bandaged from the war, as well as a man in armor and a voluptuous woman Freed referred to as Bickslow and Evergreen respectively. They stood around the hole, some crying, others bowing their heads in a personal moment of silence, still others stared at nothing and everything all at once. Lucy felt out of place at such a ceremony. They had all known Erza personally, whereas she had only met her in combat.

"Lucy?" She looked up to see Mirajane standing over her, seemingly the only one left at the burial site besides her. Had time really passed that quickly?

"Sorry," she said. "I was lost in thought."

"It's okay. Is there anything you want to say or do before we go?"

There was. Lucy knelt next to the mound of fresh earth, bowing her head and silently praying for a safe journey home. When she finished, she placed an object on her grave before standing up and brushing off her knees. The red rose stood out against the muted tones of the world around her.

"I'm ready," she told Mirajane. They walked in silence. Mirajane tried not to look too hard at her surroundings, and Lucy stared up at the sky. It was a bright sunny day, a contradiction to the gloomy event they had just attended. Lucy frowned at the sun; it shouldn't be out today. Suddenly, a raindrop hit her nose. Lucy's brows scrunched in confusion-there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Then, it began to rain hard. Both Lucy and Mirajane sprinted to their carriage before they were drenched by the unexpected downpour. Once safely inside, she looked out the carriage window, not taking her eyes off the sky. There were still no clouds; only golden sunlight. She allowed herself a small smile, wondering whether Erza was weeping from sadness or happiness. She hoped, for her sake, that it was happiness.

* * *

It was time to leave. The twilight sky twinkled with stars above her, its beauty rivaled only by the full moon and fireflies glowing in the atmosphere around her. It was almost magical in appearance. A small group had gathered, going to see her off. Mirajane handed her a small glass vial filled with a translucent green liquid, a concoction that Wendy had created specifically for her.

"Drink it," she told the girl. "It will help."

They had arrived at the White kingdom a week ago, and though life was far from normal for all of them right now, they had tried to make the best out of the situation, laughing and talking and getting to know each other better before things became stressful once again. A month from now, the royals would have a meeting to discuss what to do next since the Red kingdom had fallen. King Gajeel would be getting married soon. And then there was the fact that a queen had finally returned to her long-abandoned kingdom.

Odd as it was, Lucy realized she would miss Magnolia. Sure, she had only arrived here almost two weeks ago, but she had met some wonderful people and made good memories during the time she spent here. She looked at the group of people with her. Mirajane and Elfman smiled at her kindly, Wendy was crying and wiping her eyes, Happy and Carla perched on both of her shoulders; even the two kings and Levy had come to watch her leave.

But most important was Natsu. He stood next to her, watching her with emotions in his eyes she could not decipher. After she told him about fighting Erza and the queen's fate, he had said nothing; instead opting to hold her while she cried. She didn't mention it to him, but she could have sworn she felt the liquid warmth of tears springing from his eyes while his head rested on hers. He had listened to her when she was at her worst. That was more than the people back home did for her. She had grown closest to him out of all the others she had met, and considered him a good friend. She was really going to miss him.

She felt tears prickle behind her eyes, and she closed them to hold back the tide that was sure to come. She didn't want to leave Magnolia. It had become more of a home to her than Earthland. She had friends here, people who cared about her.

But she had to go. Before she could second-guess her decision, she uncorked the vial and swallowed the contents. It tasted like the tea Natsu had given her when she first arrived at his doorstep, cold and wet and alone. She felt the odd sensation of falling and floating at the same time, and she saw a void open up on the wall of the castle, much like the one she saw at the base of the oak back home. She would finally return. Choking back her tears, she hugged her newfound friends and said her farewells before turning to Natsu. He was mostly healed now, thanks to Porlyusica, though a bandage still covered a portion of his arm. She hugged him tightly.

"Goodbye, Natsu," she said, her voice thickening with unshed tears. "I'll never forget you," she added reluctantly, hoping it didn't sound strange. Natsu returned her hug, squeezing her as if he was trying to anchor her to him.

"Bye, Lucy." He opened his mouth again, like he was going to say more, but he closed it and smiled at her instead before letting her go. She walked up to the Gate, turning around to see the faces of her friends. She waved to them one last time before falling into the void, letting the darkness swallow their faces...


	4. The Ties That Bind Us

Lucy awoke to the soft golden glow of sunlight filtering through her curtains and the chilly autumn breeze filling the room. She sat up in bed and rubbed sleep out of her eyes. Despite the fact that it was a beautiful morning, today was a day she had been dreading for a while. Today was her wedding, and she was anything but thrilled. She didn't want to get married to _that man_. Maybe she was judging Ichiya too harshly. Maybe he was actually a decent person. But if the handmaidens were to be believed, he was actually quite disgusting…

She forced herself out of bed, the cold air in her bedroom making her shiver. The mouthwatering scent of breakfast sitting on a table across from her bed was her only motivation to move. She ate slowly, contemplating the past two weeks.

She was only in Magnolia for a week and a half; she did not expect to return home with news that she had been missing for a month and a half. Her father had found her in the garden, unconscious but unharmed. He wasn't concerned for her safety. No, he was worried that his future fortune would disappear. There were only two weeks until her wedding day, and every day that passed had been as dismal as the last. Her father had expected her to follow his every order; he failed to realize the change that overcame her. She was bolder and more confident than before, and her newfound rebellious streak clearly annoyed him. She had to admit that letting herself go was quite liberating. She had released a lot of stress in the past two weeks from that alone. She had stopped worrying about her father's opinion of her and developed her own persona. Once, what he said might have mattered to her. Now…his opinions were worthless. It was an exhilarating feeling, disobeying authority to follow her own rules. If she didn't know better, she would have thought Sirina still possessed her.

She thought about Magnolia, a place her mind wandered to frequently over the past couple weeks. She missed the friends she made. Right now, the monarchs were probably trying to distribute territory since the Red Kingdom's defeat, Gajeel and Levy were either married or were going to get married, and Natsu…well, she always wondered what Natsu was doing. She missed him most of all. She thought about him every day, unable to erase his presence from her memory. Every thought she had of him, heat shot through her body and the distance between them felt infinite. Missing him was unbearable. She had come to realize, since leaving Magnolia, that she had fallen hard for the man. She wished he was the one she would marry today instead of Ichiya. If she had realized her true feelings for him sooner, would she have stayed in Magnolia with him and the others?

_Stop it,_ she thought. _He's part of a world you left behind. This is your home, not Magnolia. Get over him and live up to your responsibilities._ But the image of Natsu still assaulted her brain day in and day out. She tried to convince herself that coming back was the right choice. At first, she thought it was; she had responsibilities here, and she was taught never to abandon them. She felt that she needed to return for the sake of duty and she wanted to see her mother's grave again. But she was lying to herself. She missed Magnolia. She missed the people and the world itself. It was more of a home to her than Earthland. She told herself she did the right thing, but she knew it was nothing more than that; just a mantra she repeated to convince herself. Now, the only reason she wanted to stay was just to say goodbye.

Her handmaids rushed into her bedroom, carrying a dress, undergarments, shoes, makeup, and jewelry. Lucy sighed. She really was not looking forward to today. She let them dress her, too lost in thought to stop them.

Lucy examined herself in the mirror after the handmaids had finished with her, frowning as she did so. She wore her mother's wedding dress. Or it was, once upon a time. Her father, upon Ichiya's request, had altered the dress in such a way that it was no longer recognizable. It hurt Lucy's heart to see her mother's beautiful dress, elegant and flowing with long lace sleeves, torn apart and remade into a tiny scrap of clothing. The dress rose mid-thigh and was low-cut, showing off more cleavage than she was comfortable with. She wasn't sure whether to pull the dress up or down to cover herself a little better. The lace sleeves were now replaced by straps; what remained of the original sleeves now lined the bodice. The dress was paired with four-inch heels that made Lucy's feet ache just looking at them. She winced. Maybe the handmaids were right about Ichiya, after all.

A knock sounded at the door, and her father barged in without waiting for a reply. He scanned her, as if to make sure she was presentable. Lucy fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Lucy, my child," he said, "Don't do anything to screw this up for me. You know just how important today is, so be a good girl and do exactly as Ichiya says."

"Why should I?" Lucy retorted. She was getting sick of being told to "do exactly as Ichiya says". She wasn't a dog to be trained for a master, she was a human girl. And after seeing powerful queens ruling kingdoms on their own and lower-class women holding kings in the palm of their hand, she wasn't about to listen to men who only saw her as an object for trade.

The back of her father's hand rushed towards her face, but Lucy easily caught his wrist. Her reflexes had gotten better since Magnolia as well. The disbelief written on her father's face was priceless. She smirked in satisfaction. "You should think before you act _, Jude._ " She released his wrist and left the room, leaving him speechless in her bedroom. Lucy felt the tears burn behind her eyes, threatening to spill over. She held them back. She was so tired of being here. She wanted to go home, back to Magnolia.

* * *

Natsu watched the wedding with a heavy heart. He had known Gajeel for years, having grown up in the White palace. Gajeel, as Natsu recalled, was an arrogant fool who thought he was the only one who mattered. Everyone, including him, thought he would never find a bride. Which was why it shocked the royals when Gajeel announced that he was marrying a glorified commoner. Many of the monarchs in the kingdoms, with the exception of Freed and Mira, disapproved of the arrangement—he should have married a woman of noble birth—but Gajeel brushed off their opinions and got engaged to Levy anyway. He had finally found someone who he loved more than himself, and someone who loved him unconditionally in return. It was true love, Mira had gushed.

All the talk of true love, and Natsu was alone. He watched solemnly as Gajeel kissed Levy passionately, cementing their bond for each other. He looked away. It's not like he wasn't happy for them—he really was—but the memories of Lucy bubbled to the surface of his mind. He wasn't the only person at the wedding without a date, but everyone he knew had someone on their arm or on their lips. Gray and Juvia sat near the altar, holding hands and sneaking loving glances at each other. Elfman and Evergreen sat apart from each other, but anyone could see they cared deeply for each other. Even Wendy laughed and smiled along with one of the servant boys, Romeo. Natsu stared down at the checkered marble floor, biting his lip. He stood up and weaved his way through the throng of cheering people, all having someone in their life whom they held dear. He doubted they were dead or gone. Once he left the room, he leaned against a pillar, closing his eyes against the stinging pain.

"You miss her, don't you?" a quiet feminine voice inquired. He didn't turn around; didn't need to. Mirajane came to stand in front of him, her sapphire eyes filled with worry. "If you want to talk about it, you know I'm here. Please, just don't hold it in."

"It's fine," Natsu mumbled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Don't worry about me. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yes there is! You can't brush me off when you're clearly hurting! Just talk to me! Do you really want what happened with Lisanna to happen all over again?!"

Natsu walked past her, ignoring her words. It was _because_ of Lisanna that he wasn't going to talk to her. He saw how much it hurt her to talk about her deceased sister. He wasn't going to put her through that pain again. He heard her voice echoing behind him, but he left without saying a word. He needed to be alone for a little while.

* * *

The wedding was held just outside the front door of the manor. The seats were packed with guests, all eager to watch the beginning of a happy ending as if it were a fairy tale. Ichiya stood at the altar, his eyes scanning the ladies in the crowd. The wedding was supposed to start half an hour ago, but the bride was late. Jude Heartfilia clenched his fists, his suspicions solidifying. He stood up from his seat and disappeared into the manor.

Meanwhile, Lucy had barricaded her door. She scurried around her room, stuffing her favorite clothes and possessions into a bag. She didn't need much; there wasn't much here she cared enough about to take with her. She had taken off her wedding dress and jewelry, opting to wear a pale yellow sundress that belonged to her mother. She had no intentions of going to the wedding, and she was going to leave Earthland while her father was preoccupied. She checked her room once more in case she missed something. She noticed a picture resting against the nightstand and breathed out a relieved sigh. It was a picture of her and her mother in the garden, both of them smiling wide for the camera. Lucy smiled and slipped the picture into the bag. She would have been devastated if she had forgotten that. A fist pounding at her door alerted her to her father's presence. She quickly opened her window and, after scanning the perimeter, climbed down the roof to the ground below. She ran across the lawn, keeping an eye out for anyone who might follow her.

She trudged up a hill, her final destination before leaving Earthland for good. On top of the hill stood a headstone, elegantly carved out of marble. Lucy's eyes brimmed with tears immediately after gazing upon it.

"Hi mom," she said shakily, kneeling down on the soft carpet of grass to place a hand on the headstone. "I'm leaving. I just wanted to you know that I'll miss you, and…and…" Lucy's voice faltered as tears streamed from her eyes and sobs burst from her chest. Her shoulders shook with the force of her grief. Even though her mother died years ago, talking to her like this never got easier. It was as if it was her funeral all over again. Lucy calmed her breathing, her violent sobs turning into soft hiccups. She brushed away her tears as she stared at her mother's grave. "I'm going to miss you so much. I wish you could be here with me right now. Life has been so stressful here, and that's why I'm leaving. I love you, mom." Without another word, she stood up and brushed the grass from her knees. She took one last look at her mother's headstone before leaving the hill.

The garden wasn't too far away. In fact, when she climbed down the hill she had already reached the entrance. She looked around before entering—there was no one around. She entered the garden and made a beeline for the ancient oak.

She reached the tree when her steps faltered. Someone was leaning against the trunk. Did her father anticipate her coming here? Was it a guest looking for peace? Her anxieties faded when the man turned around and smiled at her, his tawny hair glinting in the sunlight.

"Leo!" she cried, sprinting for him and pulling him into a tight hug. She hadn't seen him since the war, and she was relieved to see that he was alright.

"Hey, princess," he sang, a large grin upon his face as he pulled away. "You're finally ready to return, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?" she asked him incredulously, then mentally smacked herself. Of course he would know; the Celestials respond to her call. Though she didn't realize she _had_ called…

"Ready?" he asked her, extending his hand to her. She smiled happily and took his hand, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes," she cried, taking Leo's hand. Together, they jumped through the Gate. The wind flew past her face and a scream ripped from her throat. The seconds felt like hours until they finally reached the end of the Gate. The room still looked the same as before, much to Lucy's relief.

"Thank you," she told Leo, pulling him into a brief hug.

"No problem, princess. I'm glad I could help." The air around him shimmered, and his body gradually became transparent. "Goodbye, Lucy."

"Bye, Leo!" she called before he faded away completely. She turned to the ornate door in front of her, a sense of deja vu overcoming her. She gently pushed it open and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her, instantly recalling the stories her mother used to tell her. Magnolia was no longer a wasteland, and its true beauty stunned her. Verdant green grass covered every inch of the ground, while a mosaic of flowers dotted the lush carpet. The trees were in bloom, the aroma of flowers and fruit thick in the air. Animals scampered across the earth and birds soared the clear blue sky above. Magnolia was alive once again; the prophecy fulfilled. Lucy traversed the path cut through the grass. It might look a bit different now, but she knew exactly where she was. She relied on past memories and instinct to guide her, and sure enough, she found herself at a small hut. She had seen this place in her dreams many times before and didn't hesitate to knock on the door. The last time she stood here, she was cold, wet and confused. Now, she arrived here with a purpose. The door creaked open and a certain blue cat appeared.

"Look, if you want Natsu, he's not—Lucy!" The cat leaped at her, wrapping his paws around her neck. Lucy giggled and hugged the cat back. "I missed you!" he cried, tears welling in his eyes.

"I missed you too," she told him. "Is Natsu not here?"

"No, he's here," Happy answered. "He's just not in the mood for visitors today."

"Who are you talking to?" said a voice that sent waves of heat through her body. She met Natsu's shocked eyes, electricity coursing down her spine a moment later. "Lucy?" he asked in disbelief. A wide grin spread across her face before Natsu ran to her and embraced her, months of loneliness overtaking both of them. "You're back," he whispered, his voice raspy with tears.

"I'm happy to finally be back," she said with a laugh. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wiped at them roughly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Lucy," he said. Their faces were only inches apart. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips and smell his intoxicating scent. She was debating whether or not to close the distance when the choice was made for her.

Natsu closed his mouth over her own, the warmth of his lips burning her from the inside out. She instantly responded, grasping his silky pink hair and deepening their kiss. She only stopped to take a breath, feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Natsu chuckled softly and leaned back in to resume their kiss. Lucy didn't stop him.

They pulled away, their cheeks flushed. Lucy looked into Natsu's eyes and could see the love that his obsidian orbs held for her. She smiled softly at him and enlaced her fingers with his. She loved him just as much; she wouldn't have returned if she didn't. "Would you like to come in?" Natsu asked her somewhat timidly. She nodded and let him guide her into the house, shutting the door quietly behind them. Arriving in Magnolia again was the start of a new life for her, but falling in love with Natsu was something she had been dreaming about for years, and being here with him made everything she went through worth it.

With him, she was finally whole again, and that was all she ever wanted.

_End_


End file.
